any large wading bird of the family Gruidae, characterized by long legs, bill, and neck and an elevated hind toe.
(not used scientifically) any of various similar birds of other families, as the great blue heron.
Machinery. a device for lifting and moving heavy weights in suspension.
any of various similar devices, as a horizontally swinging arm by a fireplace, used for suspending pots over the fire.
Movies, Television. a vehicle having a long boom on which a camera can be mounted for taking shots from high angles.
Nautical. any of a number of supports for a boat or spare spar on the deck or at the side of a vessel.
Astronomy. Crane, the constellation Grus.
to hoist, lower, or move by or as by a crane.
to stretch (the neck) as a crane does.
to stretch out one's neck, especially to see better.
to hesitate at danger, difficulty, etc.
(Harold) Hart, 1899–1932, U.S. poet.
Stephen, 1871–1900, U.S. novelist, poet, and short-story writer.
any large long-necked long-legged wading bird of the family Gruidae, inhabiting marshes and plains in most parts of the world except South America, New Zealand, and Indonesia: order Gruiformes See also demoiselle whooping crane
(not in ornithological use) any similar bird, such as a heron
a device for lifting and moving heavy objects, typically consisting of a moving boom, beam, or gantry from which lifting gear is suspended See also gantry
films a large trolley carrying a boom, on the end of which is mounted a camera
(tr) to lift or move (an object) by or as if by a crane
to stretch out (esp the neck), as to see over other people's heads
(intr) (of a horse) to pull up short before a jump
( Harold ) Hart. 1899–1932, US poet; author of The Bridge (1930)
Stephen. 1871–1900, US novelist and short-story writer, noted particularly for his novel The Red Badge of Courage (1895)
Walter. 1845–1915, British painter, illustrator of children's books, and designer of textiles and wallpaper
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English cran; cognate with German Kran, Greek géranos
A crane is an elegant white bird with a very long neck. You're most likely to see cranes wading near shorelines and in marshy areas. There are fifteen species of cranes, and almost all of them are endangered. Cranes are known for their odd mating dances and for the fact that they typically mate for life. When you crane your neck, you stretch it in order to get a better view of something — like a crane might do. The tall machine also known as a crane is clearly named for the long-necked bird as well.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There is also a separate structure on the property that Heigl used as her personal art studio, having transported it in using a crane, the description reveals.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Engineers have built a temporary road and installed a crane which has been lifting carriages from the Corby to London Luton Airport Express train from the tracks.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Claw machine lover Neiki Lee carefully lowers the metal jaws of a crane with a joystick into a pool of prizes, only to have the small toy slip from its clutches again and again.
From Barron's ● May 31, 2026
Watched and photographed by a host of humans, the annual migration of the sandhill crane, once nearly extinct, begins from an Indiana wetland in the twilight of late fall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
I crane my neck to see the platform at the top.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The company has asked regulators to transfer 760 megawatts of capacity interconnection rights to the Crane plant.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
Jack Leach remains probably the most reliable spinner in the country, while leg-spinner Mason Crane is bowling well for Glamorgan eight years after he won his only England cap.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
If not Bashir, would England go back to Jack Leach, Liam Dawson, or even leg-spinner Mason Crane, whose only Test cap came more than eight years ago?
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
There are historical pieces about her home state and discussions of her literary influences, such as Stephen Crane and Bruno Schulz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
There were many portraits that had to be taken from Gresham College to Crane Court, and this was overseen by the obsessive stickler for detail Sir Isaac Newton.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
At the end of this process, private capital poured in, lining up the cranes and the hard hats.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Several rescuers run to the road and signal for engines to be shut off, cranes to stop and drills to be silenced.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
One recent evening, patrons at a nearby rooftop bar could see two high-rise cranes still at work until sunset.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
Installation of the display involved dozens of riggers and two cranes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
The other was the string of paper cranes that had been made by the students at Oakland High School.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
A swarm of tourists craned their necks to see the instalment of the cross's upper arm, visible amid the scaffolding and workers who put finishing touches from their harnesses.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
Tugging at kite strings in the field are a group of children, their necks craned towards the skies.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2025
Simone Biles craned her neck to watch the score flash across the big screen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2024
During the final stretch of the Chicago race, they were leaning over barricades, necks craned, looking for their husbands flying by at a pace close to 4 minutes and 53 seconds per mile.
From Seattle Times ● May 12, 2024
It shimmied in her palm, then craned to inspect both Brigit and Jason.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
As more blacked-out vehicles entered the area, the more excited the crowd grew, with several craning their necks to peek at the stars exiting their vehicles.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Dorr was inspired by his wife, Nell, a renowned photographer, who was tired of riding shotgun and craning her neck out the window to see where the asphalt ended.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
On July 14, it shared a painting depicting a young 19th-century couple in a covered wagon, craning over an infant, the plains and mountains extending into the distance behind them.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2025
You should position yourself so that you’re not craning your neck upward or to the side.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
He twisted his body, craning his neck to look at the man who clung to his back.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
