crank

¹

[ krangk ]

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.

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 ¹( def 5 ).

verb phrase

1. 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. to incorporate as an integral part:

   Overhead is cranked into the retail cost.

3. to cause to diminish or terminate:

   the president's efforts to crank down inflation.

4. Informal.
   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

[ krangk ]

adjective

, Nautical.

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

noun

1. a crank vessel.

crank

³

[ krangk ]

adjective

, British Dialect.

1. lively; high-spirited.

crank

¹

/ 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 calledcrank handlestarting 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

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

/ kræŋk /

adjective

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

Other Words From

• crankless adjective
• non·cranking adjective
• un·cranked adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of crank¹

Old English cranc; related to Middle Low German krunke wrinkle, Dutch krinkel crinkle

Origin of crank²

C17: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to crank ¹

Example Sentences

Whereas an oven set to bake — even cranked up to 500 degrees — tends to slightly steam watery vegetables or cuts of meat coated in a marinade before the food starts to brown, a broiler comes in hot and fast, crisping as soon as the flames appear.

From Eater

Demands quickly flip from how high to crank your hill to how honest you’re willing to be with yourself to how thankful you are.

From Washington Post

It unveiled itself to us really as we started cranking on the numbers.

From Washington Post

Additional snow showers may develop as the storm off the Mid-Atlantic coast cranks up.

From Washington Post

Shooters can choose whether they prefer to optimize the finder for detail by maximizing the resolution or cranking up the refresh rate in order to get smoother motion when composing shots.

From Popular-Science

After passing through an iron door with a round crank, a small blueprint marks the official entrance into the secret shelter.

From The Daily Beast

The wonderful reign of Queen Elizabeth has everyone worried about what will happen when her crank of a son takes the throne.

From The Daily Beast

Before the marriage it was already obvious that he was a bit of a crank.

From The Daily Beast

This being a manifesto, there are a few moments when Almond sounds like a self-righteous crank.

From The Daily Beast

I belong to the “Soccer Hater” demographic – middle-aged Republican crank with long, blonde hair and a great pair of gams.

From The Daily Beast

But our first care was to ballast the sloop, for without it she was so crank as to be unseaworthy.

From Project Gutenberg

Inside the box was one of those little, old-fashioned Swiss music boxes, and May was industriously turning the crank.

From Project Gutenberg

The crank is then run through the bearing hole and a nut run on the threads and a washer placed against the nut.

From Project Gutenberg

This size rod was procured and bent to form a crank, the bearing end being threaded for a distance equal to the length of the hub.

From Project Gutenberg

He looked out in the street, and there he saw a hand-organ man grinding away at the crank which made the nice music.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• curmudgeon