crane

1 of 2

noun

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 motion-picture or television camera

Illustration of crane

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 compartmentWebb Waldron
2

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
Buildings and cranes hidden by the dark came into view. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Construction cranes still surround the brand-spanking new plant in Kulim’s industrial park in Malaysia. Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 These cranes help move goods through maritime ports. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 11 Mar. 2024 Due to a deadly construction crane collapse, the new stadium was still being built in 2000 (seen side-by-side with the old County Stadium in the video above). Eva Wen, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 Sandhill cranes are making their annual noisy reappearance in Indiana a little early this year. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 That [meant] that Adam was very much alone, all deep into our spaceship set, with these 60-foot cranes coming in from various directions. Clark Collis, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2024 IndyStar’s recent edition of Scrub Hub answered some questions about why the cranes are here and where to best spot them. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Firefighters used a crane to rescue people from the charred building, the fire service officials said. Reuters, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Characters race onto rooftops, open-mouthed, their necks craned toward the cosmos. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2024 As Negrete looks the man over, crowds of people encircle the tent, craning to see the day’s injured. Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 Necks craned to see the television screens positioned throughout the space. Detroit Free Press, 22 Jan. 2024 The innovative way of using the seemingly simple item is to prevent having to crane your neck while watching a show or movie on your phone screen. Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2024 We’re left on the outside, craning our necks, trying to get closer. Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2024 This will stop you from craning your head and looking up, which can mess with your ability to keep your back straight and strain your neck. Jenny McCoy, SELF, 17 Jan. 2024 Pin craned her neck to look: one vehicle had scraped another. Vera Carothers, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 Civilians race before him through the streets, necks craned upward in terror. Robert Rubsam, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2024

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

Verb

1570, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crane was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near crane

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

crane

1 of 2 noun
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)

(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

More from Merriam-Webster on crane

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