crash v.

late 14c., crasschen "break in pieces; make a loud, clattering sound;" probably imitative. Meaning "break into a party, etc." is 1922. Slang meaning "to sleep" dates from 1943; especially from 1965. Of destructive aircraft landings, 1910 (intransitive), 1915 (transitive). Computing sense "functional failure of a program" is from 1973. Related: Crashed; crashing. Crashing (adj.) as "overwhelming" (typically in crashing bore) is by 1930.

1570s, "loud, harsh, complex sound, as of heavy things falling or breaking," from crash (v.). From 1718 as "a falling down or to pieces." Sense of "financial collapse" is from 1817; that of "collision" is from 1910; references to falling of airplanes are from World War I. Crash-landing attested by 1928. Crash-program in reference to rapid, intense instruction is by 1947; crash-course in the same sense is by 1958.