cranny

American  

[kran-ee] / ˈkræn i /

noun

plural

crannies

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

• crannied adjective

Etymology

Origin of cranny

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

Example Sentences

The film makes fantastic use of its single shooting location, tucking horror into every last nook and cranny of this potentially haunted house.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

The tactility of the book encourages you to explore every nook and cranny of the house, which does already feel like a museum of sorts.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2025

In less time than it takes to say “arachnophobia,” it will escape, reproduce like a bandit and send its deadly progeny scampering into every unsealed nook and cranny.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2024

There is a sense in every nook and cranny of Westminster that changing the mood is almost impossible, given how many things have gone wrong.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2024

But they walked back and forth multiple times along the Leavenworth side and the Sacramento side, studying every nook and cranny for a spot where you could hide a book.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman