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Meaning & use

crack den

noun·Advancedinformaldisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈkræk dɛn/
US/ˈkræk dɛn/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A run-down building or room where people gather to buy and smoke crack cocaine.

    Grammar: A countable noun: a crack den, several crack dens.

    Patterns

    • raid a crack den
    • run a crack den

    Police raided a crack den in the abandoned warehouse early on Tuesday.

    The landlord was fined for letting his flat become a crack den.

    Neighbors complained for months about the crack den next door.

  2. nouncountablefigurativehumorousslang

    Any filthy, neglected, dangerous-looking place, said to exaggerate how bad it is.

    Grammar: Used figuratively and humorously: this place is a crack den.

    Patterns

    • look like a crack den

    Your room looks like a crack den; please tidy it.

    I refuse to stay in that motel; it is practically a crack den.

    He joked that the old student house was a crack den.

Word forms

pluralcrack dens

Common combinations

raid a crack den
Officers raided a crack den on the edge of town.
run a crack den
The man was charged with running a crack den.
abandoned crack den
The children were told never to enter the abandoned crack den.
shut down a crack den
The council shut down a crack den after repeated complaints.

Synonyms and how they differ

drug den
Drug den is wider and covers any illegal drug, while crack den names one specific drug.
crack house
Crack house is the more usual American term for the same kind of place.
dive
Dive means a shabby bar or club, and does not suggest drugs unless the context adds it.

Word family

crack noun
a smokable form of cocaine
crack house noun
a building where crack is sold and used
den noun
a hidden place used for secret or illegal activity

Commonly confused: crack den or opium den?

crack den vs opium den

An opium den is the older, historical equivalent where opium was smoked, while a crack den involves crack cocaine.

Practice

Police raided a ____ in the empty warehouse after neighbors reported suspicious visitors.

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