crank

1 of 5

noun

1
: a bent part of an axle or shaft or an arm keyed at right angles to the end of a shaft by which circular motion is imparted to or received from the shaft or by which reciprocating motion is changed into circular motion or vice versa
2
a
archaic : bend
b
: a twist or turn of speech : conceit
used especially in the phrase quips and cranks
c(1)
(2)
: an annoyingly eccentric person
also : one who is overly enthusiastic about a particular subject or activity
d
: a bad-tempered person : grouch
3
: crystal meth
specifically : an impure form of crystal meth
crankish adjective

crank

2 of 5

verb

cranked; cranking; cranks

intransitive verb

1
: to move with a winding course : zigzag
2
a
: to turn a crank
b
: to get started by or as if by the turning of a crank
c
: to gain speed, momentum, or intensity
usually used with up
the campaign is cranking up

transitive verb

1
: to move or operate by or as if by a crank
crank the window down
2
a
: to cause to start
crank an automobile
b
: to rotate the shaft (such as a crankshaft) of especially with a starter
crank over an engine
c
: to use in trying to start an engine
crank the starter
3
a
: to start as if by use of a crank
usually used with up
she cranked up the air conditioner
b
: turn up sense 2
usually used with up
crank up the volume

crank

3 of 5

adjective (1)

: of, relating to, or being a bad-tempered or annoyingly eccentric person
also : made or sent by such a person or by someone intending to be an annoyance or to cause harm
crank calls
a crank letter

crank

4 of 5

adjective (2)

1
chiefly dialectal : merry, high-spirited
2
chiefly dialectal : cocky, confident

crank

5 of 5

adjective (3)

of a boat
: easily tipped : tender entry 1 sense 4d

Examples of crank in a Sentence

Noun To open the car window, turn the crank on the door. He was dismissed as a crank until his article was published. Most people think she's just a harmless crank. Verb He cranked the temperature to 75 degrees. Crank the engine to see if it will start.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
To use this popcorn maker, hold the wooden handle with one hand and slowly turn the crank with the other. Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2024 But most audiences would recognize his face from something, and over the past 30 years he’s built up an apex career for a character actor: the middle-aged crank who can headline a film but just as easily fill in as one of Dwayne Johnson’s action-movie sidekicks (in fact, he’s done that twice). David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 Every nightfall, cranks mounted on a floating platform lower the ring 25 meters below the surface to expose the seaweed to cooler, more nutrient-rich water. IEEE Spectrum, 21 Dec. 2023 Twelve months out from Election Day, the Presidential campaign has inescapably begun with the slow, ominous, upward crank of a roller coaster. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 12 Nov. 2023 Last year’s 13 Ultra impressed, but the 14 Ultra cranks everything up to 11, or, eh 14? Julian Chokkattu Simon Hill, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024 The online marketplace sells used cars that customers can pick up in a giant vending machine Facebook Show more sharing options Back in the day, a silver quarter and the crank of a metal nob got you a gumball shooting down a spiral slide. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 From the very top, the cast cranks up the energy to a 10, leaving them nowhere to go from there. Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2024 As the storm that soaked our Sunday cranks up to the northeast, winds increase, sustained at 10 to 20 mph, with some gusts to 30 mph. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2024
Verb
Opt for lures like Bull Dawgs, crankbaits, and glide baits that can be worked with a wide range of speed, as opposed to bucktails that have to be cranked quickly to maintain their action. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024 The Masked Singer certainly cranked it up to 11 on Wednesday’s season 11 premiere. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 In much of the country, electric grids were designed to handle high demand in the summer when people crank up air-conditioners. Ivan Penn, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024 The others have to do with late nesting species that are just getting cranked up, with one being rather uncommon to rare as a breeder in Mecklenburg County. Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Confidence: Medium-High A look ahead Partly sunny skies and light south winds should help crank temperatures up for Monday. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2024 Fully electric vehicles, which run exclusively on battery packs, typically lose an average of 41% of their range when outdoor temperatures drop to 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the heat’s cranked on, AAA researchers have found. Emily Pandise, NBC News, 18 Jan. 2024 The rumor mill starts cranking in earnest after a self-driving Dodge Caravan with chunky sensors adorning the roof is spotted driving around California’s San Francisco Bay Area. Wes Davis, The Verge, 3 Mar. 2024 Each vehicle that gets customized undergoes hundreds of miles of testing to hunt down any potentially annoying noises, since few owners will want to crank up music through Apple CarPlay on the dash. Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Secondary targets for theft include the pedals, crank arm and crankset, handlebar grips, shifter, derailleur, and brake calipers. Matt Jancer, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023 This means the percentage of energy transferred from your legs during each pedal stroke to your crank arm. Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2023 Model numbers can be found on the inside of the crank arm near the backside of the arm where the pedals are attached. Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2023 Any big-box retailer will have a selection of weather-band radios, powered by a crank or replaceable batteries. Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 19 July 2023 Whatever the case, those 12- to 16-inch fallfish had no problem smashing a variety of jigs, spinners and mini-crank baits. Jim Gronaw, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 17 Oct. 2021 For a non-crank evolutionary biologist who is willing to defend the race concept for humans, see Jerry Coyne. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2013

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crank.' 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 cranke, from Old English cranc- (as in crancstæf, a weaving instrument); probably akin to Middle High German krank weak, sick — more at cringe

Adjective (2)

Middle English cranke

Adjective (3)

short for crank-sided easily tipped

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective (1)

1924, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (3)

circa 1649, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crank was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near crank

Cite this Entry

“Crank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crank. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

crank

1 of 2 noun
1
: a bent part of an axle or shaft or an armlike part at right angles to the end of a shaft that gives or receives circular motion
2
a
: a person with strange ideas
b
: a cross or irritable person

crank

2 of 2 verb
: to move, run, or start by or as if by turning a crank
crank up the window
you had to crank the old car
the engine isn't cranking right

Medical Definition

crank

noun
: crystal meth
specifically : an impure form of crystal meth

More from Merriam-Webster on crank

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