crash

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a loud resonant repeating noise
  2. noun a serious accident (usually involving one or more vehicles)
  3. noun a sudden large decline of business or the prices of stocks (especially one that causes additional failures)

Etymology

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).

In classic literature

Synonyms

clang, clangor, clangour, clangoring, clank, clash

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