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
By this time a crowd had assembled, the good folk who had been craning their necks at the windows having swarmed out, now that the danger was past.
From Humphrey Bold A Story of the Times of Benbow by Herbert Strang
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
They had been craning their necks, looking for slow crawling freighters headed into port.
From A Yankee Flier with the R.A.F. by Rutherford George Montgomery
