noun
crane
krayn
noun
1
A large wading bird with long legs and a long neck.
"A pair of cranes waded through the marsh at dawn."
2
A tall machine used to lift and move heavy objects, especially on construction sites.
"A crane hoisted the steel beam to the top floor."
verb
1
To stretch out one's neck to see something better.
"She craned her neck to see over the crowd."
"He craned forward to catch every word."
How to Use Crane
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the tall wading bird, the heavy-lifting construction machine, or (as a verb) to stretch your neck to look at something.
Common pairings
crane your neck
construction crane
flock of cranes
Word Forms
craned past tense, cranes plural, cranes plural, Cranes plural, cranes singular
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Etymology
From Old English cran, a Germanic word for the bird; the lifting machine was named later because it resembles the bird's long neck and beak.