crank

¹ American  

[krangk] / kræŋk /

noun

1. Machinery. 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.

2. Informal. an ill-tempered, grouchy person.

3. an unbalanced person who is overzealous in the advocacy of a private cause.

4. an eccentric or whimsical notion.

5. a strikingly clever turn of speech or play on words.

6. Archaic. a bend; turn.

7. Slang. the nasal decongestant propylhexedrine, used illicitly for its euphoric effects.

8. Automotive Slang. a crankshaft.

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verb (used with object)

1. to bend into or make in the shape of a crank.

2. to furnish with a crank.

3. Machinery. to rotate (a shaft) by means of a crank.

4. to start (an internal-combustion engine) by turning the crankshaft manually or by means of a small motor.

5. to start the engine of (a motor vehicle) by turning the crankshaft manually.

verb (used without object)

1. to turn a crank, as in starting an automobile engine.

2. Obsolete. to turn and twist; zigzag.

adjective

1. unstable; shaky; unsteady.

2. of, relating to, or by an unbalanced or overzealous person.

   a crank phone call; crank mail.

3. British Dialect. cranky.

verb phrase

1. 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.

2. crank in / into to incorporate as an integral part.

   Overhead is cranked into the retail cost.

3. crank down to cause to diminish or terminate.

   the president's efforts to crank down inflation.

4. crank up

   1. to get started or ready.

      The theater season is cranking up with four benefit performances.

   2. to stimulate, activate, or produce.

      to crank up enthusiasm for a new product.

   3. to increase one's efforts, output, etc..

      Industry began to crank up after the new tax incentives became law.

crank ² American  

[krangk] / kræŋk /

adjective

Nautical.

1. Also having a tendency to roll easily, as a boat or ship; tender (stiff ).

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noun

1. a crank vessel.

crank ³ American  

[krangk] / kræŋk /

adjective

British Dialect.

1. lively; high-spirited.

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crank ¹ British  

/ kræŋk /

noun

1. 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

2. Also called: crank handle.   starting handle.  a handle incorporating a crank, used to start an engine or motor

3. informal

   1. an eccentric or odd person, esp someone who stubbornly maintains unusual views

   2. a bad-tempered person

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verb

1. (tr) to rotate (a shaft) by means of a crank

2. (tr) to start (an engine, motor, etc) by means of a crank handle

3. (tr) to bend, twist, or make into the shape of a crank

4. obsolete (intr) to twist or wind

crank ² British  

/ kræŋk /

adjective

1. (of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by the wind; tender

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Other Word Forms

• crankless adjective
• crankly adverb
• crankness noun
• noncranking adjective
• uncranked adjective

Etymology

Origin of crank¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English crank, cronk, Old English cranc-, in crancstæf, a kind of weaver's tool ( staff ¹ )

Origin of crank²

First recorded in 1690–1700; probably to be identified with crank ¹, but sense development unclear; crank-sided

Origin of crank³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cranke; of obscure origin

Explanation

To crank is to turn or rotate something using a handle or lever. The earliest automobiles required drivers to crank the engine before they could climb in and start driving. You might crank a paper towel machine in a restroom to unspool the towels, or crank a music box to start it up — in either case, you're turning a handle, which is also called a crank. You can also say that you crank up the engine when you start your car, even though you're not literally turning or winding anything. A completely different kind of crank is a grouchy, opinionated person. This last meaning comes from cranky.

Example Sentences

That’s largely because of how high Gabriela was able to crank up the heat from the jump Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Nick Lichtenberg has used the technology to crank out 600 stories since rejoining Fortune in July, a potential bellwether for where much of the media business is headed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

If electricity fails, the bunker's ventilation system can be operated manually using a hand crank — much like in vintage cars.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

Mr. Warsh isn’t a crank for thinking so.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

The cat was put down, and then came a series of crank phone calls and anonymous postcards orchestrated by my sisters and me.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

• zealot