\Crack\ (kr[a^]k), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cracked}
(kr[a^]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Cracking}.] [OE. cracken,
craken, to crack, break, boast, AS. cracian, cearcian, to
crack; akin to D. kraken, G. krachen; cf. Skr. garj to
rattle, or perh. of imitative origin. Cf. {Crake},
{Cracknel}, {Creak}.]
1. To break or burst, with or without entire separation of
   the parts; as, to crack glass; to crack nuts.
2. To rend with grief or pain; to affect deeply with sorrow;
   hence, to disorder; to distract; to craze.
         O, madam, my old heart is cracked.    --Shak.
         He thought none poets till their brains were
         cracked.                              --Roscommon.
3. To cause to sound suddenly and sharply; to snap; as, to
   crack a whip.
4. To utter smartly and sententiously; as, to crack a joke.
   --B. Jonson.
5. To cry up; to extol; -- followed by up. [Low]
{To crack a bottle}, to open the bottle and drink its
   contents.
{To crack a crib}, to commit burglary. [Slang]
{To crack on}, to put on; as, to crack on more sail, or more
   steam. [Colloq.]

\Crack\, v. i.
1. To burst or open in chinks; to break, with or without
   quite separating into parts.
         By misfortune it cracked in the coling. --Boyle.
         The mirror cracked from side to side. --Tennyson.
2. To be ruined or impaired; to fail. [Collog.]
         The credit . . . of exchequers cracks, when little
         comes in and much goes out.           --Dryden.
3. To utter a loud or sharp, sudden sound.
         As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack. --Shak.
4. To utter vain, pompous words; to brag; to boast; -- with
   of. [Archaic.]
         Ethoipes of their sweet complexion crack. --Shak.

\Crack\, n.
1. A partial separation of parts, with or without a
   perceptible opening; a chink or fissure; a narrow breach;
   a crevice; as, a crack in timber, or in a wall, or in
   glass.
2. Rupture; flaw; breach, in a moral sense.
         My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw.
                                               --Shak.
3. A sharp, sudden sound or report; the sound of anything
   suddenly burst or broken; as, the crack of a falling
   house; the crack of thunder; the crack of a whip.
         Will the stretch out to the crack of doom? --Shak.
4. The tone of voice when changed at puberty.
         Though now our voices Have got the mannish crack.
                                               --Shak.
5. Mental flaw; a touch of craziness; partial insanity; as,
   he has a crack.
6. A crazy or crack-brained person. [Obs.]
         I . . . can not get the Parliament to listen to me,
         who look upon me as a crack and a projector.
                                               --Addison.
7. A boast; boasting. [Obs.] ``Crack and brags.'' --Burton.
   ``Vainglorius cracks.'' --Spenser.
8. Breach of chastity. [Obs.] --Shak.
9. A boy, generally a pert, lively boy. [Obs.]
         Val. 'T is a noble child. Vir. A crack, madam.
                                               --Shak.
10. A brief time; an instant; as, to be with one in a crack.
    [Eng. & Scot. Colloq.]
11. Free conversation; friendly chat. [Scot.]
          What is crack in English? . . . A crack is . . . a
          chat with a good, kindly human heart in it. --P. P.
                                               Alexander.

\Crack\, a.
Of superior excellence; having qualities to be boasted of.
[Colloq.]
      One of our crack speakers in the Commons. --Dickens.