crane

1 of 2

noun

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 rails
2
: any of several herons
3
: an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: such 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 movie or television camera

Illustration of crane

Illustration of crane
  • crane 1

crane

2 of 2

verb

craned; craning

transitive verb

1
: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane
2
: to stretch toward an object of attention
craning her neck to get a better view

intransitive verb

1
: to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention
I craned out of the window of my compartmentWebb Waldron
2

Examples of crane in a Sentence

Verb We craned our necks toward the stage. craned her head to see the roof
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
An image taken June 15 appears to show the submarine either fully or partially submerged just under the river's surface, with rescue equipment and cranes surrounding it. CBS News, 27 Sep. 2024 His sons, George and Albert, got inked in Japan: with a tiger and a dancing crane, respectively. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
Verb
The bird floats on blue-green waves, with its head craned skyward and its bright-red eyes taking in the appearance of a crescent moon. Anna Holmes, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2024 As the team crept toward her — carrying large wooden shields and a giant net — the animal’s head weaved, craned and rocked back and forth in frenzied rhythms. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for crane 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1570, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crane was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near crane

Cite this Entry

“Crane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

crane

1 of 2 noun
1
: any of a family of tall wading birds related to the rails
2
: any of several herons
3
a
: a machine with a swinging arm for lifting and carrying heavy weights
b
: a mechanical arm that swings freely from a center and is used to support or carry a weight

crane

2 of 2 verb
craned; craning
1
: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane
2
: to stretch out one's neck to see better

Biographical Definition

Crane 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

(Harold) Hart 1899–1932 American poet

Crane

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Stephen 1871–1900 American writer

Crane

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Walter 1845–1915 English artist

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