crane
noun
any large wading bird of the family Gruidae, characterized by long legs, bill, and neck and an elevated hind toe.
had been craning
-
past perfect progressiveof crane.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Szczepanski had been craning out of the gunner’s nest, managing traffic.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 20, 2015
Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton attended earlier this month, arriving just before curtain to the surprise of audience members who had been craning their necks to glimpse Jake Gyllenhaal.
From New York Times ● Mar. 27, 2015
Mrs. Almayer, who had been craning her neck to look round the corner of the shed, drew back her head.
From Almayer's Folly: a story of an Eastern river by Joseph Conrad
Marry!" exclaimed Fawkes, who through all the contest had been craning his neck and breathing hard with excitement, "that was a brave device but not one which I should care to try myself.
From The Fifth of November A Romance of the Stuarts by Charles S. Bentley
Alderson, who had been craning out of the door, drew back his head to speak.
From The Pirate of Panama A Tale of the Fight for Buried Treasure by William MacLeod Raine
