: 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 motion-picture or television camera
Verb
We craned our necks toward the stage. craned her head to see the roof
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The closure was first reported at 7:10 a.m., after a crane in the construction zone brought the wire down.—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 9 Aug. 2024 Suspended in the transparent PVC, origami cranes in a multitude of colors and patterns appear to be flying around the wearer’s body.—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 6 Aug. 2024
Verb
Genta’s company produced watches that get the chairs creaking in the auction houses as people crane their necks to witness the bids soar.—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2019 Be prepared to crane your neck at an unnatural angle or squint at a very small font!—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 19 July 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
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