crack (v.) Old English cracian "make a sharp noise, give forth a loud, abrupt sound," from Proto-Germanic krakojan (source also of Middle Dutch craken, Dutch kraken, German krachen); the whole group is probably ultimately imitative. From c. 1300 as "to burst, split open" (intransitive), also transitive, "to cause to break into chinks." From 1785 as "break or crush into small pieces."