Crash Meaning
/ˈkɹæʃ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA sudden, intense, loud sound, as made for example by cymbals.
nounAn automobile, airplane, or other vehicle accident.
Sentence Examples
The stock market crash forced many retirees back into the job market.
He who wears armor falls with a big crash!
I was terrified that the plane would crash.
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The loud ____ of thunder startled the sleeping cat awake.
Word Origin & History
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).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The largest group of black rhinos reported was made up of 13 individuals. A group of rhinos is called a crash."
— 1998, E. Melanie Watt, Black Rhinos, page 19:
"Out in the water a crash of rhinoceros-like animals browse belly deep through a bed of aquatic plants."
— 1999, Edward Osborne Wilson, The Diversity of Life, page 126:
"The crash of rhinoceros at Tsavo now numbers almost 200."
— 2003, Claude Herve-Bazin, Judith Farr, Kenya and Tanzania, page 23:
"Roy Hodgson's side were dominant and fully merited the lead given to them when Eric Dier crashed a 20-yard free-kick high past keeper Igor Akinfeev with 17 minutes left."
— 2016 June 11, Phil McNulty, “England 1-1 Russia”, in BBC Sport:
"Even the staid New York Times was gushing: “Rising to the glorious heights of his heyday, Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat, crashed out three home runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday afternoon but it was not enough.""
— 2022, John Nogowski, Last Time Out: Big-League Farewells of Baseball's Greats, page 8:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The loud ____ of thunder startled the sleeping cat awake.