: 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
Verb
We craned our necks toward the stage. craned her head to see the roof
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Noun
Twenty-two-foot ceilings lift the living room into cathedral-like scale, a lofted workstation perched overhead like a director on a crane.—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025 The tragedy unfolded on Saturday (April 5) when powerful winds toppled a crane that was supporting a decorative metal fixture at the festival site.—Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
As a cluster of paparazzi hold their cameras up, waiting to get the shot, onlookers crane their necks to see who is causing all of this commotion.—Dave Quinn, People.com, 1 May 2025 Afternoon commuters heading west on Interstate 84 near Meridian’s western border can crane their heads right and see dirt moving.—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crane
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
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