crane

1 of 2

noun

ˈkrān 

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

• 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 compartment …

—Webb Waldron

2

: hesitate

Synonyms of crane

Verb

• lift
• hoist
• raise

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

On a map on the agency’s website where the agency posts updates of wall construction across the entire southern border, a photo showed a crane lifting one of the 30-foot-tall steel wall panels into place while construction workers looked on. — Rebecca Santana, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026

The roof was pitched and we were surrounded by cranes and other heavy equipment. — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

Most of the attendees crammed along the fences, craning their necks and holding their phones aloft on their tiptoes. — Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Khalil, with a half smile, craned his neck into the hallway and looked behind me, as if to raise the possibility that I was being followed. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

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

Phrases Containing crane

• crane fly
• crane operator
• sandhill crane
• whooping crane

Rhymes for crane

• ane
• bane
• blain
• brain
• cane
• chaine
• cheyne
• deign
• drain
• fain
• fane
• feign

Kids Definition

crane

1 of 2 noun

ˈkrān 

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)

ˈkrān 

(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