Pound vs Crack - What's the difference?
pound | crack | Related terms |
(en noun) (sometimes pound after numerals)
Short for pound-force, a unit of force/weight.
A unit of mass equal to 16 avoirdupois ounces (= 453.592 37 g). Today this value is the most common meaning of "pound" as a unit of weight.
* 28 July 2010 , Rachel Williams in The Guardian, Mothers who lose weight before further pregnancy ‘reduce risks’ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/28/mothers-lose-weight-reduce-risks?INTCMP=SRCH]
A unit of mass equal to 12 troy ounces (? 373.242 g). Today, this is a common unit of weight when measuring precious metals, and is little used elsewhere.
(US) The symbol (octothorpe, hash)
The unit of currency used in the United Kingdom and its dependencies. It is divided into 100 pence.
* November 11 2012 , Carole Cadwalladr in the Observer, Do online courses spell the end for the traditional university? [http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/nov/11/online-free-learning-end-of-university?INTCMP=SRCH]
* 1860 , (George Eliot), The Mill on the Floss , Book 5, Chapter 6
Any of various units of currency used in Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon, and formerly in the Republic of Ireland and Israel.
* Episode 4
Any of various units of currency formerly used in the United States.
English plurals (unit of currency)
*
A place for the detention of stray or wandering animals.
* 2002 , , 00:27:30:
A place for the detention of automobiles that have been illegally parked, abandoned, etc.
The part of a canal between two locks, and therefore at the same water level.
A kind of fishing net, having a large enclosure with a narrow entrance into which fish are directed by wings spreading outward.
*
, title=[http://openlibrary.org/works/OL5535161W Mr. Pratt's Patients], chapter=1
, passage=Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting 'em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.}}
To confine in, or as in, a pound; to impound.
* 1644 , (John Milton), (Areopagitica); A speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England
(label) To strike hard, usually repeatedly.
*, chapter=12
, title=[http://openlibrary.org/works/OL5535161W Mr. Pratt's Patients]
, passage=She had Lord James' collar in one big fist and she pounded the table with the other and talked a blue streak. Nobody could make out plain what she said, for she was mainly jabbering Swede lingo, but there was English enough, of a kind, to give us some idee.}}
(label) To crush to pieces; to pulverize.
To eat or drink very quickly.
To pitch consistently to a certain location.
To beat strongly or throb.
To penetrate sexually, with vigour.
To advance heavily with measured steps.
* 1899 , (Joseph Conrad),
(label) To make a jarring noise, as when running.
(slang, dated) To wager a pound on.
*1854 , Dickens, Hard Times , Chapter 4:
*:Good-bye, my dear!' said Sleary. 'You'll make your fortun, I hope, and none of our poor folkth will ever trouble you, I'll pound it.
(senseid)To form cracks.
To break apart under pressure.
To become debilitated by psychological pressure.
To break down or yield, especially under interrogation or torture.
To make a cracking sound.
(of a voice) To change rapidly in register.
(of a pubescent boy's voice) To alternate between high and low register in the process of eventually lowering.
To make a sharply humorous comment.
To make a crack or cracks in.
To break open or crush to small pieces by impact or stress.
To strike forcefully.
To open slightly.
To cause to yield under interrogation or other pressure. (Figurative )
To solve a difficult problem.
To overcome a security system or a component.
To cause to make a sharp sound.
* 2001 , Doug McGuinn, The Apple Indians
To tell (a joke).
(transitive, chemistry, informal) To break down (a complex molecule), especially with the application of heat: to pyrolyse.
(computing) To circumvent software restrictions such as regional coding or time limits.
(informal) To open a canned beverage, or any packaged drink or food.
(obsolete) To brag, boast.
*, II.4.1.v:
* Shakespeare
(archaic, colloquial) To be ruined or impaired; to fail.
* Dryden
(senseid)A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material.
A narrow opening.
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=January 25
, author=Phil McNulty
, title=Blackpool 2 - 3 Man Utd
, work=BBC
A sharply humorous comment; a wisecrack.
A potent, relatively cheap, addictive variety of cocaine; often a rock, usually smoked through a crack-pipe.
* (rfdate) :
(onomatopoeia) The sharp sound made when solid material breaks.
(onomatopoeia) Any sharp sound.
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=June 28
, author=Piers Newbery
, title=Wimbledon 2011: Sabine Lisicki beats Marion Bartoli
, work=BBC Sport
(informal) An attempt at something.
(vulgar, slang) vagina.
(vulgar) The space between the buttocks.
(Northern England, Scotland, Ireland) Conviviality; fun; good conversation, chat, gossip, or humourous storytelling; good company.
* 2001 , William F. Gray, The Villain , iUniverse, p. 214:
* 2004 , Bill Griffiths, Dictionary of North East Dialect , Northumbria University Press (quoting Dunn, 1950)
* 2006 , Patrick McCabe, Winterwood , Bloomsbury 2007, p. 10:
(Northern England, Scotland, Ireland) Business/events/news
(computing) A program or procedure designed to circumvent restrictions or usage limits on software.
(Cumbria, elsewhere throughout the North of the UK) a meaningful chat.
(Internet slang) Extremely silly, absurd or off-the-wall ideas or prose.
The tone of voice when changed at puberty.
* Shakespeare
(archaic) A mental flaw; a touch of craziness; partial insanity.
(archaic) A crazy or crack-brained person.
* Addison
(obsolete) A boast; boasting.
* Burton
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) Breach of chastity.
(obsolete) A boy, generally a pert, lively boy.
* Shakespeare
(slang, dated, UK) A brief time; an instant; a jiffy.
Highly trained and competent.
Excellent, first-rate, superior, top-notch.
Pound is a related term of crack.
As nouns the difference between pound and crack
is that pound is short for pound-force, a unit of force/weight or pound can be a place for the detention of stray or wandering animals or pound can be a hard blow while crack is (senseid)a thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material.As verbs the difference between pound and crack
is that pound is to confine in, or as in, a pound; to impound or pound can be (label) to strike hard, usually repeatedly while crack is (senseid)to form cracks.As an adjective crack is
highly trained and competent.pound
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl), from (etyl) . Cognate with Dutch pond, German Pfund, Swedish pund.Noun
- Research shows that retaining even one or two pounds after giving birth can make problems more likely in a subsequent pregnancy, experts said, with women who have several children facing a "slippery slope" if they continue to gain weight each time.
- For students in developing countries who can't get it any other way, or for students in the first world, who can but may choose not to. Pay thousands of pounds a year for your education? Or get it free online?
- "Only a hundred and ninety-three pound ," said Mr. Tulliver. "You've brought less o' late; but young fellows like to have their own way with their money. Though I didn't do as I liked before I was of age." He spoke with rather timid discontent.
- He glanced back through what he had read and, while feeling his water flow quietly, he envied kindly Mr Beaufoy who had written it and received payment of three pounds , thirteen and six.
- the Rhode Island pound'''; the New Hampshire '''pound
Usage notes
* Internationally, the "pound" has most commonly referred to the UK pound, £, (pound sterling). The other currencies were usually distinguished in some way, e.g., the "Irish pound" or the "punt". * In the vicinity of each other country calling its currency the pound among English speakers the local currency would be the "pound", with all others distinguished, e.g., the "British pound", the "Egyptian pound" etc. * The general plural of "pound" has usually been "pounds" (at least since Chaucer), but the continuing use of the Old English genitive or neuter "pound" as the plural after numerals (for both currency and weight) is common in some regions. It can be considered correct, or colloquial, depending on region. (English Citations of "pound")Synonyms
* lb * lb t * (UK unit of currency) , pound sterling, GBP, quid (colloquial), nicker (slang) * (Other units of currency) punt (the former Irish currency) * hash (UK), sharpDerived terms
* -pounder * * Amsterdam pound * avoirdupois pound * foot-pound * foot-pound-second * * metric pound * pack on the pounds * pink pound * pound cake * pound-foolish * pound-force * pound-for-pound * pound of flesh * pound shop * pound sign * take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves * ten pound pom * ten pound tourist * troy poundSee also
* * * (UK unit of currency) crown, farthing, florin, guinea, penny, pence, shilling, sovereign, sterlingEtymology 2
From (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)- (Police officer to a dog owner) "He'd better stay calm or I'll have the pound come and get him."
Usage notes
* (Manx English) uses this word uncountably.Derived terms
* dog pound * impound * lobster poundVerb
(en verb)- And he who were pleasantly disposed, could not well avoid to liken it to the exploit of that gallant man, who thought to pound up the crows by shutting his park gate.
Etymology 3
From an alteration of earlier poun, pown, from (etyl) pounen, from (etyl) , pynd, in relation to the hollow mortar for pounding with the pestle.Alternative forms
* (l), (l) (obsolete or dialectal)Verb
(en verb)- We pounded along, stopped, landed soldiers; went on, landed custom–house clerks to levy toll in what looked like a God–forsaken wilderness, with a tin shed and a flag–pole lost in it; landed more soldiers—to take care of the custom–house clerks, presumably.
Synonyms
* (drink quickly)Derived terms
* pounding * pound down * pound the pavement * pound the table * pound sand * pound town * pound upSee also
* bangcrack
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) crakken, craken, from (etyl) .Verb
(en verb)- It's been so dry, the ground is starting to crack .
- When I tried to stand on the chair, it cracked .
- Anyone would crack after being hounded like that.
- When we showed him the pictures of the murder scene, he cracked .
- The bat cracked with authority and the ball went for six.
- His voice cracked with emotion.
- His voice finally cracked when he was fourteen.
- "I would too, with a face like that," she cracked .
- The ball cracked the window.
- You'll need a hammer to crack a black walnut.
- She cracked him over the head with her handbag.
- Could you please crack the window?
- They managed to crack him on the third day.
- I've finally cracked it, and of course the answer is obvious in hindsight.
- It took a minute to crack''' the lock, three minutes to '''crack''' the security system, and about twenty minutes to ' crack the safe.
- They finally cracked the code.
- to crack a whip
- Hershell cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit that drove Inez crazy
- The performance was fine until he cracked that dead baby joke.
- Acetone is cracked to ketene and methane at 700°C.
- That software licence will expire tomorrow unless we can crack it.
- I'd love to crack open a beer .
- Cardan cracks that he can cure all diseases with water alone, as Hippocrates of old did most infirmities with one medicine.
- Ethoipes of their sweet complexion crack .
- The creditof exchequers cracks , when little comes in and much goes out.
Derived terms
* bumcrack * crack a crib * crack a fat * crack baby * crack down * cracked * cracker * crack house * crack kills * crack of dawn * crack on * crack seed * crack up * crack whore * fall between the cracks * difficult nut to crack * hard nut to crack * tough nut to crack * what's the crack * wisecrackNoun
(en noun)- A large crack had formed in the roadway.
- We managed to squeeze through a crack in the rock wall.
- Open the door a crack .
citation, page= , passage=Dimitar Berbatov found the first cracks in the home side's resilience when he pulled one back from close range and Hernandez himself drew the visitors level with a composed finish three minutes later as Bloomfield Road's earlier jubilation turned to despair. }}
- I didn't appreciate that crack about my hairstyle.
- I wouldn't use it, if I was going to use it I can afford real cocaine. Crack is wack.
- The crack of the falling branch could be heard for miles.
- The crack of the bat hitting the ball.
citation, page= , passage=She broke to love in the opening game, only for Bartoli to hit straight back in game two, which was interrupted by a huge crack of thunder that made Lisicki jump and prompted nervous laughter from the 15,000 spectators.}}
- I'd like to take a crack at that game.
- I'm so horny even the crack of dawn isn't safe!
- Pull up your pants! Your crack is showing.
- Being a native of Northumberland, she was enjoying their banter and Geordie good humour. This was what she needed — good company and good crack .
- "his a bit o' good crack — interesting to talk to"
- By the time we've got a good drunk on us there'll be more crack in this valley than the night I pissed on the electric fence!
- The crack was good.
- That was good crack .
- He/she is quare good crack .
- The party was great crack .
- What's the crack ?
- Has anyone got a crack for DocumentWriter 3.0?
- Though now our voices / Have got the mannish crack .
- He has a crack .
- I can not get the Parliament to listen to me, who look upon me as a crack and a projector.
- crack and brags
- vainglorious cracks
- (Shakespeare)
- - 'Tis a noble child.
- A crack , madam.
- I'll be with you in a crack .
Usage notes
* In the last few decades the word has been adopted into Gaelic; as there is no "k" in the Irish language the spelling (craic) has been devised.Synonyms
* bum crack (UK), arse crack (UK), ass crack (US) * (cocaine that is heat-altered at the moment of inhalation) crack cocaineEtymology 2
1793 slang, of originAdjective
(-)- Even a crack team of investigators would have trouble solving this case.
- She's a crack shot with that rifle.
