cranny

American  

[kran-ee] / ˈkræn i /

noun

crannies plural

1. a small, narrow opening in a wall, rock, etc.; chink; crevice; fissure.

   They searched every nook and cranny for the missing ring.

2. a small out-of-the-way place or obscure corner; nook.

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cranny British  

/ ˈkrænɪ /

noun

1. a narrow opening, as in a wall or rock face; chink; crevice (esp in the phrase every nook and cranny )

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cranny Idioms  

1. see nook and cranny.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• crannied
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• crannies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cranny

1400–50; late Middle English crany, perhaps < Middle French crené, past participle of crener to notch, groove; see crenel

Explanation

A cranny is a little crack or narrow opening, Many cats like to settle themselves into any cranny they can find. A rock wall is full of crannies where you can fit your fingers and feet as you climb up, while a tree's crackly bark provides crannies for insects to hide in. It's pretty common to see the word cranny accompanied by nook: "When you vacuum the living room, don't forget about all the little nooks and crannies!" Cranny is a diminutive of the Old French cran, "notch or fissure," from crener, "to split."