Crase (kr?z), v. t. [See Craze.] To break in pieces; to crack. [Obs.] "The pot was crased." Chaucer.

Portuguese
• Assimilation of sounds of two identical vowals, throughout the evolution process of a language. For instance, the Old Portuguese word “door” (pain) has become, with time, the word “dor” (pain). Compare elisão: elision.
  
• Name given to the processs of the contraction of “a + a”, that is, a merge (assimilation) of the Portuguese preposition “a” + the article “a” . Both preposition and article “a” belong to the feminine gender in Portuguese. They must, accordingly, be used before feminine words. The translation of à in English, hence, is to the. People sometimes write “a” when they should write “à” and vice versa.