Added 1 October 2026
crash
/ˈkɹæʃ/ noun
In Latin: fragor Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about crash at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A sudden, intense, loud sound, as made for example by cymbals.
The piece ended in a crescendo, building up to a crash of cymbals.
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An automobile, airplane, or other vehicle accident.
She broke two bones in her body in a car crash.
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A malfunction of computer software or hardware which causes it to shut down or become partially or totally inoperable.
My computer had a crash so I had to reboot it.
adjective
verb
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To collide with something destructively; to fall or come down violently.
When the car crashed into a house, the driver was heavily injured.
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To cause something to collide with something else, especially when this results in damage.
I'm sorry for crashing the bike into a wall. I'll pay for repairs.
- To hit or strike with force.
noun
Origin
From Middle English crasshen, crasschen, craschen (“to break into pieces”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a variant of earlier *crasken, from crasen (“to break”) + -k (formative suffix); or from earlier *craskien, *craksien, a variant of craken (“to crack, break open”) (for form development compare break, brask, brash).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)