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.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A Spanish brigade also arrived with a crane to begin removing rubble.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 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
The women had worked at one of the factories in town, one as a welder, another as a crane operator, and lived in the apartments constructed for its workers since the 1980s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Wages for crane operations supervisors, engineering project designers and metallurgical engineering jobs have increased nearly 8%, Payscale data show.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
It normally takes a crane to move the massive dome, which is held down by dozens of oversized bolts.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
In 2024, Microsoft signed a 20-year power deal with Constellation Energy that will restart the undamaged reactor at Three Mile Island, now renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Crane said in the UK, Europe, the US, China, and elsewhere, there have been "huge developments" in this direction.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
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
“Mr. Crane gave them to me, sir. When they didn’t fit his son anymore.”
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
There are 35 species, ranging from ravens to cranes, falcons to storks.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
At the end of this process, private capital poured in, lining up the cranes and the hard hats.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
At a media tour earlier this week, the massive Convention Center-scaled space was largely empty, save for dormant cranes, a scattering of workers and the occasional hum of drilling.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Most of the machinery used in construction was invented decades ago: bulldozers in the 1920s and cranes in the 1940s, Goldman Sachs notes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
I glanced behind me at Ma’s quilt, the cranes flying up to the gold-threaded sun she had added.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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
Beejee dropped to his knees and craned his head under the bed.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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
“I thought I had a ride,” said John Lithgow, craning his head around, seeming a bit impatient.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2025
"He captures Dylan's craning stance and the way he used hair and sunglasses as a mask, the insistent buzz and keen of his speaking and singing voice and the odd, touchy, insularity."
From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2024
Eventually I return to my top cameras, craning up to get a better look at the sky.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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.
