Crush

Pronunciation

IPA: /kÉ¹ÊŒÊƒ/
Rhymes: -ÊŒÊƒ

Origin

From Middle English cruschen, crousshen, Old French cruisir, croissir, from Late Latin *cruscio, from Frankish *krostjan. Akin to Gothic ðŒºð‚ðŒ¿ðŒ¹ðƒð„ðŒ°ðŒ½ (kruistan, "to gnash"), Old Swedish krusa, krosa "to crush", Middle Low German krossen ("to break"), Swedish krysta ("to squeeze"), Danish kryste, Icelandic kreysta.

Full definition of crush

Noun

crush

(plural crushes)

A violent collision or compression; a crash; destruction; ruin.

Addisonthe wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds

Violent pressure, as of a moving crowd; a crowd which produced uncomfortable pressure; as, a crush at a reception.
A short-lived and unrequited love or infatuation; the object of this infatuation.

2004, Chris Wallace (journalist), Character: Profiles in Presidential CourageIt had taken nine years from the evening that Harry Truman first showed up with a pie plate at her mother's door, but his dogged perseverance eventually won him the hand of his boyhood Sunday school crush.

A violent crowding
A crowd control barrier
A standing stock or cage with movable sides used to restrain livestock for safe handling
A party, festive function

1890 Oscar Wilde'', ch 1Two months ago I went to a crush at Lady Brandon's.

(Australia) The process of crushing cane to remove the raw sugar. The season that this process takes place in.

Derived terms

Verb

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.to crush grapesYe shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, crushed, broken or cut. --Lev. xxii.
To reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding; to comminute.to crush quartz

1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 1With a wild scream he was upon her, tearing a great piece from her side with his mighty teeth, and striking her viciously upon her head and shoulders with a broken tree limb until her skull was crushed to a jelly.

To overwhelm by pressure or weight; to beat or force down, as by an incumbent weight.''After the corruption scandal, the opposition crushed the ruling party in the elections
To oppress or burden grievously.
To overcome completely; to subdue totally.The sultan's black guard crushed every resistance bloodily.

Sir Walter Scottspeedily overtaking and crushing the rebels

(intransitive) To be or become broken down or in, or pressed into a smaller compass, by external weight or forcean eggshell crushes easily
To feel infatuation with or unrequited love for.She's crushing on him.
(sports) to defeat emphatically

2011, November 11, Rory Houston, Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland, A stunning performance from the Republic of Ireland all but sealed progress to Euro 2012 as they crushed nine-man Estonia 4-0 in the first leg of the qualifying play-off tie in A Le Coq Arena in Tallinn.