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crane
[ kreyn ]
/ kreÉȘn /
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noun
verb (used with object), craned, cran·ing.
to hoist, lower, or move by or as by a crane.
to stretch (the neck) as a crane does.
verb (used without object), craned, cran·ing.
to stretch out one's neck, especially to see better.
to hesitate at danger, difficulty, etc.
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known asâŠ
Origin of crane
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English cran; cognate with German Kran, Greek géranos
Words nearby crane
Cranborne money, Cranbrook, crance iron, cranch, crandall, crane, crane fly, cranesbill, Cranford, cranial, cranial index
Other definitions for crane (2 of 2)
Crane
[ kreyn ]
/ kreÉȘn /
noun
(Harold) Hart, 1899â1932, U.S. poet.
Stephen, 1871â1900, U.S. novelist, poet, and short-story writer.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use crane in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for crane (1 of 2)
crane
/ (kreÉȘn) /
noun
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 GruiformesSee also demoiselle (def. 1), 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 suspendedSee also gantry
films a large trolley carrying a boom, on the end of which is mounted a camera
verb
Word Origin for crane
Old English cran; related to Middle High German krane, Latin grƫs, Greek géranos
British Dictionary definitions for crane (2 of 2)
Crane
/ (kreÉȘn) /
noun
(Harold) Hart. 1899â1932, US poet; author of The Bridge (1930)
Stephen. 1871â1900, US novelist and short-story writer, noted particularly for his novel The Red Badge of Courage (1895)
Walter. 1845â1915, British painter, illustrator of children's books, and designer of textiles and wallpaper
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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