craze

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Technical

n. a tiny crack in the surface of a bowl or plate.

n. a fine crack in the glaze or enamel of pottery or porcelain, often caused by heat stress.

“If you look closely at the antique vase, you can see a tiny craze in the glaze.”

“Collectors often distinguish between intentional decorative crackle and a natural craze resulting from the uneven cooling of the kiln.”

C2 · Proficiency Technical

v. to get small cracks on the surface of something.

v. to produce or develop a network of fine cracks on a surface, such as glaze or paint.

“The old painting started to craze after years of hanging in the sun.”

“Exposure to extreme temperature fluctuations caused the protective coating on the exterior panels to craze and eventually flake off.”

C2 · Proficiency Literary · Archaic

v. to make someone lose their mind or become very confused.

v. to derange the intellect or render someone insane.

“The constant noise from the construction site was enough to craze the residents.”

“In the gothic novel, the protagonist is slowly crazed by the isolation of the desolate moorland estate.”