a machine or device that breaks things into smaller pieces; also slang for something that defeats or disappoints someone.
From 'crush,' which may derive from Old French 'croissir.' The '-er' suffix forms an agent noun. In slang, a 'crusher' is anything devastating.
In mining and construction, crushers literally built the modern world by grinding ore and rock into usable materials. The word reflects how industrialization turned 'crushing' from a basic action into a technological process.
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