crane
noun
any large wading bird of the family Gruidae, characterized by long legs, bill, and neck and an elevated hind toe.
crane
1 American
[krayn]
/ kreɪn /
noun
-
cranes
plural
-
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.
verb (used with object)
-
cranes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
craned,
past participle, past
-
craning
present participle
-
to hoist, lower, or move by or as by a crane.
-
to stretch (the neck) as a crane does.
verb (used without object)
-
cranes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
craned,
past participle, past
-
craning
present participle
-
to stretch out one's neck, especially to see better.
-
to hesitate at danger, difficulty, etc.
Crane
2
American
[krayn]
/ kreɪn /
noun
-
(Harold) Hart, 1899–1932, U.S. poet.
-
Stephen, 1871–1900, U.S. novelist, poet, and short-story writer.
crane
1
British
/ kreɪn /
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 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
verb
-
(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
Crane
2
British
/ kreɪn /
noun
-
( 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
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
cranesimple
-
cranessimple
-
have cranedperfect
-
has cranedperfect
-
am craningprogressive
-
are craningprogressive
-
is craningprogressive
-
have been craningperfect progressive
-
has been craningperfect progressive
Past
-
cranedsimple
-
had cranedperfect
-
was craningprogressive
-
were craningprogressive
-
had been craningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of crane
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English cran; cognate with German Kran, Greek géranos
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing crane
A Vocabulary Bestiary: Animals That Behave as Verbs
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!
Birds, Birds, Birds, List 1
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!
Amazing Animals, A-Z
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!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The prosecution claimed crane operator McInnes had a restricted view of the load and that the operation became a "blind lift" when it moved completely out of sight.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The roof had to be opened using a crane after the stairwell collapsed.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
A car being shipped by container must first be taken to a facility near a port, where it is loaded into a box and then lifted by crane onto a ship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
A stroll around its periphery, through the crowds, shows its elaborate towers still framed by a construction crane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
At least, though, it seemed confined to its little porthole, unable to do more than crane its neck and stare him down as Boaz drew himself uneasily to his feet.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
England national selector Marcus North said: "Mason Crane has been performing consistently for Glamorgan across both formats during the summer. He's an experienced, high-class leg-spinner who thoroughly deserves another opportunity at international level."
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
This season Crane took 34 wickets in the County Championship and demonstrated his improvement with the bat by making his first two first-class hundreds.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Leg-spinner Mason Crane could play for England for the first time in eight years after being recalled for the one-day international tri-series in Pakistan.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
“You’re not going to give your money to some bank you’ve never heard of,” said Peter Crane of Crane Data, which researches money-market funds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
“What about Crane? He’s got to answer for it.”
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
He most often cites Serbia's infrastructure and improved living standards as proof of his success, once pledging to make the country a "land of cranes".
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Videos posted on social media last week show cranes at the Port of Shahid Rajaee, Iran’s largest commercial container port, at a standstill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
“How many cranes are there in downtown Los Angeles today?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
An almost unbroken line of slipways, cranes and workshops employing thousands of workers once stretched for miles along the south bank of the lower Clyde.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
An Yi’s had two long-legged cranes on the cover.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
Shortly after, at a small neighborhood restaurant I raced down a 30 mph road to get to, nearly every patron craned their necks to look.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
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
Talking about the building process, Royds called it a "DIY makeover on steroids" and said 42,000 pieces of steel had to craned into the theatre, with thousands of people coming together to make it happen.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2025
I secretly loved how the flower craned skyward, never quick to diminish its presence, what I considered its sharp elegance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2024
Francis rolled down his window and craned his head outside to see.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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
Here in 2026, office workers often suffer from texting thumb after scrolling through endless feeds and tech neck after craning down to look at mobile devices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
My head pain was quelled thanks to the drugs, but now my neck and back began to flare up, the previous day’s slouching and craning setting in.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2024
You should position yourself so that you’re not craning your neck upward or to the side.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
I snorted and leaned over the desk, craning my neck to look at the sheet of paper he’d left lying there. “/ have damnable timing? Please, you have thirteen syllables in a line here.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
