noun / verb

crash

KRASH/krˈæʃ/

A sudden violent collision or breakdown.

A small car crashes nose-first into a concrete barrier.

A small unoccupied car crashing nose-first into a concrete barrier, with a visibly crumpled hood and a few fragments flying from the point of impact.

Etymology

crashMiddle Englishbreak in pieces; make a clattering sound

Middle English crasschen linked breaking in pieces with a loud clattering sound, probably through imitation. That destructive image extends from violent collisions to sudden failures, including a computer program ceasing to function.

In context

fineartconnoisseur3:23

because of the credit crunch I don't think it's going to crash and that's not just because I'm defending my profession the market is a lot more solid than it was in 8990

Ray Waterhouse.mov

More examples

The crash leaves both cars badly damaged.
My computer crashes whenever I open that file.
The stock market crash wipes out years of savings.

Forms

crash · crashes · crashed · crashing

Similar words

collision: Emphasizes objects striking each other, not systems failing.
breakdown: Emphasizes loss of function without necessarily implying suddenness or violence.
collapse: Emphasizes falling down or losing stability rather than impact.