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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.

That which confines or contracts; a restraint; a shakle; a hindrance. A narrow fortune is a cramp to a great mind. L'Estrange. Crippling his pleasures with the cramp of fear. Cowper.

To break into pieces; to crush; to grind to powder. See Crase. God, looking forth, will trouble all his host, And craze their chariot wheels. Milton.

A person who owes his rise and fortune to another; a servile dependent; an instrument; a tool. A creature of the queen's, Lady Anne Bullen. Shak. Both Charles himself and his creature, Laud. Macualay.

An embrasure or indentation in a battlement; a loophole in a fortress; an indentation; a notch. See Merlon, and Illust. of Battlement.

ile made to cover the ridge of a roof, fitting upon it like a saddle. -- Interior crest (Fort.), the highest line of the parapet.

mely crinkled, Wondrously wrinkled. Skelton. The flames through all the casements pushing forth, Like red-not devils crinkled into snakes. Mrs. Browning.

s; at a critical time; in a situation. place, or condition of decisive consequence; as, a fortification critically situated. Coming critically the night before the session. Bp. Burnet.

Affiction regarded as a test of patience or virtue; trial; disappointment; opposition; misfortune. Heaven prepares a good man with crosses. B. Jonson.

Athwart; adversely; unfortunately; peevishly; fretfully; with ill humor.

istinction; hence, anything given on account of, or obtained by, faithful or successful effort; a reward. "An olive branch and laurel crown." Shak. They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptiblle. 1 Cor. ix. 25. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Rev. ii. 10.…

To sail back and forth on the ocean; to sail, as for the potection of commerce, in search of an enemy, for plunder, or for pleasure.

Fig.: A little; a bit; as, a crumb of comfort.

engaged in a crusade; as, the crusaders of the Middle Ages. Azure-eyed and golden-haired, Forth the young crusaders fared. Longfellow.

Violent pressure, as of a crowd; a crowd which produced uncomfortable pressure; as, a crush at a peception. Crush hat, a hat which collapses, and can be carried under the arm, and when expanded is held in shape by springs; hence, any hat not injured by compressing. -- Crush room, a large room in a theater, opera house…

The cracklling noise made by block tin when it is bent back and forth. A far cry, a long distance; -- in allusion to the sending of criers or messengers through the territory of a Scottish clan with an announcement or summons.

To bring forth; -- said of animals, or in contempt, of persons. "Cubb'd in a cabin." Dryden.

A fortune teller; one who pretends to reveal mysteries. [Obs.] Hudibras.

The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment. The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance. Shak. All that I eat, or drink, or shall beget, Is propagated curse. Milton. The curse of Scotland (Card Playing), the nine of diamonds. -- Not worth a curse. See under…

To cut stick, to make off clandestinely or precipitately. [Slang] -- To cut teeth, to put forth teeth; to have the teeth pierce through the gum and appear. -- To have cut one's eyeteeth, to be sharp and knowing. [Colloq.] -- To cut one's wisdom teeth, to come to years of discretion. -- To cut under, to undersell; as,…