crankshaft

American  

[krangk-shaft, -shahft] / ˈkræŋkˌʃæft, -ˌʃɑft /

noun

Machinery.

1. a shaft having one or more cranks, usually formed as integral parts.

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crankshaft British  

/ ˈkræŋkˌʃɑːft /

noun

1. a shaft having one or more cranks, esp the main shaft of an internal-combustion engine to which the connecting rods are attached

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Etymology

Origin of crankshaft

First recorded in 1850–55; crank ¹ + shaft

Example Sentences

The Z06, with the ear-gasmic flat-plane crankshaft, would be too loud for the street—my street, at least.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

Then, in January 2016, came the first "thermal incident" - a police car fire caused by the same crankshaft bearing issue that later affected PC Dumphreys' car.

From BBC • Jul. 28, 2023

Engines can fail due to a crankshaft machining problem.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 8, 2022

If you didn’t know a carburetor from a crankshaft, you could never be sure you weren’t getting ripped off.

From Washington Post • May 24, 2022

Her starboard hull plate had been removed, her engine dismantled, and her crankshaft and rod bearings lay exposed.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson