Crane Definition

krān

craned, cranes, craning

noun

cranes

Any of a family (Gruidae) of usually large gruiform wading birds with very long legs and neck, and a long, straight bill.

Webster's New World

Any of various unrelated birds, as herons and storks.

Webster's New World

Any of various machines for lifting or moving heavy weights by means of a movable projecting arm or a horizontal beam traveling on an overhead support.

Webster's New World

Any device with a swinging arm fixed on a vertical axis.

A fireplace crane is used for holding a kettle.

Webster's New World

Crane is defined as a large machine used to lift and move very heavy things.

An example of a crane is the big metal machine used to lift shipping containers off of a cargo ship.

YourDictionary

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
stephen crane
Harold Hart Crane
hart crane
grus
wader
stretch
raise
machine
hoist
hesitate
heron
device
bird
davit
derrick

verb

craned, cranes, craning

To raise or move with a crane.

Webster's New World

To stretch (the neck) as a crane does, as in straining to see over something.

Webster's New World

To stretch one's neck toward something for a better view.

American Heritage

To be irresolute; hesitate.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
stretch-out

Other Word Forms of Crane

Noun

Singular:

crane

Plural:

cranes

Origin of Crane

From Old English cran, from Proto-Germanic *kran-, from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to cry hoarsely”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old English cran gerə-² in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition