[syn: break down, crush]
8. become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure;
- Example: "The plastic bottle crushed against the wall"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Crush \Crush\ (kr[u^]sh), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crushed
(kr[u^]sht); p. pr. & vb. n. Crushing.] [OE. cruschen,
crousshen, Of. cruisir, croissir, fr. LL. cruscire, prob. of
Ger. origin, from a derivative of the word seen in Goth.
kruistan to gnash; akin to Sw. krysta to squeeze, Dan.
kryste, Icel. kreysta.]
1. To press or bruise between two hard bodies; to squeeze, so
as to destroy the natural shape or integrity of the parts,
or to force together into a mass; as, to crush grapes.
[1913 Webster]
Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is
bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut. --Lev. xxii.
24.
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The ass . . . thrust herself unto the wall, and
crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. --Num. xxii.
25.
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2. To reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding; to
comminute; as, to crush quartz.
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3. To overwhelm by pressure or weight; to beat or force down,
as by an incumbent weight.
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To crush the pillars which the pile sustain.
--Dryden.
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Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again. --Bryant.
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4. To oppress or burden grievously.
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Thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway.
--Deut.
xxviii. 33.
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5. To overcome completely; to subdue totally.
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Speedily overtaking and crushing the rebels. --Sir.
W. Scott.
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6. to subdue or overwhelm (a person) by argument or a cutting
remark; to cause (a person) to feel chagrin or
humiliation; to squelch.
[PJC]
To crush a cup, to drink. [Obs.]
To crush out.
(a) To force out or separate by pressure, as juice from
grapes.
(b) To overcome or destroy completely; to suppress.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Crush \Crush\ (kr[u^]sh), v. i.
To be or become broken down or in, or pressed into a smaller
compass, by external weight or force; as, an eggshell crushes
easily.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Crush \Crush\, n.
1. A violent collision or compression; a crash; destruction;
ruin.
[1913 Webster]
The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds.
--Addison.
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2. Violent pressure, as of a crowd; a crowd which produced
uncomfortable pressure; as, a crush at a reception.
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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, etc.,
where the audience may promenade or converse during the
intermissions; a foyer.
[1913 Webster]
Politics leave very little time for the bow window
at White's in the day, or for the crush room of the
opera at night. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
crush
n 1: leather that has had its grain pattern accentuated [syn:
crushed leather, crush]
2: a dense crowd of people [syn: crush, jam, press]
3: temporary love of an adolescent [syn: puppy love, calf
love, crush, infatuation]
4: the act of crushing [syn: crush, crunch, compaction]
v 1: come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority;
"The government oppresses political activists" [syn:
oppress, suppress, crush]
2: to compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition;
"crush an aluminum can"; "squeeze a lemon" [syn: squash,
crush, squelch, mash, squeeze]
3: come out better in a competition, race, or conflict; "Agassi
beat Becker in the tennis championship"; "We beat the
competition"; "Harvard defeated Yale in the last football
game" [syn: beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce,
vanquish]
4: break into small pieces; "The car crushed the toy"
5: humiliate or depress completely; "She was crushed by his
refusal of her invitation"; "The death of her son smashed
her" [syn: crush, smash, demolish]
6: crush or bruise; "jam a toe" [syn: jam, crush]
7: make ineffective; "Martin Luther King tried to break down
racial discrimination" [syn: break down, crush]
8: become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure; "The
plastic bottle crushed against the wall"