crunch

Crunch means to bite, chew, crush or grind loudly.

(verb)

The definition of a crunch is a sit-up type of abdominal exercise where the torso is only lifted slightly off the floor.

(noun)

An example of a crunch is a common ab flattening exercise done in Pilates.

Crunch is defined as a critical moment when time or resources are running out.

(noun)

An example of a crunch is the last few minutes of a race.

See crunch in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb, transitive verb

to bite or chew with a noisy, crackling sound
to press, grind, tread, fall, etc. with a noisy, crushing sound
Informal to process (a vast quantity of numbers or other data) rapidly: using a computer to crunch population statistics

Origin: earlier craunch, of echoic orig.

noun

the act or sound of crunching
an exercise much like a sit-up, in which the upper body is raised only slightly off the floor rather than to an upright position
☆ Informal a tight situation; specif., an economic squeeze
☆ Slang a showdown

See crunch in American Heritage Dictionary 4

crunch

verb crunched, crunch·ing, crunch·es

verb, transitive

To chew with a noisy crackling sound.
To crush, grind, or tread noisily.
Slang To perform operations on; manipulate or process (numerical or mathematical data).

verb, intransitive

noun

The act or sound of crunching.
A modified sit-up having a smaller range of motion that reduces back strain and strengthens the abdominal muscles: stomach crunches.
a. A decisive confrontation.
b. A critical moment or situation, especially one that occurs because of a shortage of time or resources: a year-end crunch; an energy crunch.
c. A period of financial difficulty characterized by tight money and unavailability of credit.

Origin: Alteration of craunch, possibly of imitative origin.

Related Forms: