Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
CRUSH
I. verb
Etymology: Middle English crusshen, from Anglo-French croissir, croistre, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Low German krossen to crush
Date: 15th century
transitive verb
1. to squeeze or force by pressure so as to alter or destroy structure , to squeeze together into a mass, hug , embrace , to reduce to particles by pounding or grinding ,
4. to suppress or overwhelm as if by pressure or weight, to oppress or burden grievously , to subdue completely , crowd , push , drink , intransitive verb crash , to become crushed, to advance with or as if with crushing, crushable adjective crusher noun crushingly adverb
II. noun
Date: 1599
an act of crushing, the quantity of material crushed,
3. a crowding together (as of people), crowd , mob , an intense and usually passing infatuation , see: crowd crushproof adjective