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

Officials confirmed to the local outlets that a crane collapsed amid the flames and several explosions were reported, possibly from construction fuel tanks. —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025

While this is perhaps not surprising — trade is a much smaller component of US GDP than China’s — American ports are also far less efficient than their Chinese counterparts; China produces about 95% of all shipping containers, and has cornered the global market in ship-to-shore cranes. —Andy Browne, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025

Verb

Or does Lux ask us to crane our necks to appreciate base human longing that presents in ecstatic and horrific manifestations, in the hunger for all sorts of holy and unsavory connections? —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025

During the construction of the Brew Hall, the kettles were craned into the site first, and the building was built around them. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025

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