Main Entry:

¹crane

Pronunciation:

\ˈkrān\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English cran, from Old English; akin to Old High German krano crane, Greek geranos, Latin grus

Date:

before 12th century

1: any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails2: any of several herons3: an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: as a: a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track b: an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles c: a boom for holding a motion-picture or television camera

[crane illustration]