crank
1Machinery. any of several types of arms or levers for imparting rotary or oscillatory motion to a rotating shaft, one end of the crank being fixed to the shaft and the other end receiving reciprocating motion from a hand, connecting rod, etc.
Informal. an ill-tempered, grouchy person.
an unbalanced person who is overzealous in the advocacy of a private cause.
an eccentric or whimsical notion.
a strikingly clever turn of speech or play on words.
Archaic. a bend; turn.
Slang. the nasal decongestant propylhexedrine, used illicitly for its euphoric effects.
Automotive Slang. a crankshaft.
to bend into or make in the shape of a crank.
to furnish with a crank.
Machinery. to rotate (a shaft) by means of a crank.
to start (an internal-combustion engine) by turning the crankshaft manually or by means of a small motor.
to start the engine of (a motor vehicle) by turning the crankshaft manually.
to turn a crank, as in starting an automobile engine.
Obsolete. to turn and twist; zigzag.
of, relating to, or by an unbalanced or overzealous person: a crank phone call; crank mail.
British Dialect. cranky1 (def. 5).
crank down, to cause to diminish or terminate: the president's efforts to crank down inflation.
crank in / into to incorporate as an integral part: Overhead is cranked into the retail cost.
crank out, to make or produce in a mass-production, effortless, or mechanical way: She's able to crank out one best-selling novel after another.
crank up, Informal.
to get started or ready: The theater season is cranking up with four benefit performances.
to stimulate, activate, or produce: to crank up enthusiasm for a new product.
to increase one's efforts, output, etc.: Industry began to crank up after the new tax incentives became law.
Origin of crank
1Other words from crank
- crankless, adjective
- non·crank·ing, adjective
- un·cranked, adjective
Other definitions for crank (2 of 3)
a crank vessel.
Origin of crank
2Other definitions for crank (3 of 3)
Origin of crank
3Other words from crank
- crankly, adverb
- crankness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for crank (1 of 2)
/ (kræŋk) /
a device for communicating motion or for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa. It consists of an arm projecting from a shaft, often with a second member attached to it parallel to the shaft
Also called: crank handle, starting handle a handle incorporating a crank, used to start an engine or motor
informal
an eccentric or odd person, esp someone who stubbornly maintains unusual views
US and Canadian a bad-tempered person
(tr) to rotate (a shaft) by means of a crank
(tr) to start (an engine, motor, etc) by means of a crank handle
(tr) to bend, twist, or make into the shape of a crank
(intr) obsolete to twist or wind
Origin of crank
1- See also crank up
British Dictionary definitions for crank (2 of 2)
cranky
/ (kræŋk) /
(of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by the wind; tender
Origin of crank
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse