noun
crank
KRANGK
noun
1
A handle or arm turned to operate a machine or mechanism.
"He turned the crank to lower the window manually."
2
A person seen as eccentric, obsessive, or holding strange fringe beliefs.
"The letter was dismissed as the rant of a crank."
adjective
1
Grouchy or irritable (informal, chiefly used as "cranky").
"He gets crank when he skips lunch."
verb
1
To turn using a crank, or to start a machine by turning one.
"He cranked the old engine several times before it caught."
How to Use Crank
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA turning handle on a machine, or an eccentric/irritable person; as a verb, to turn or start something by hand.
Common pairings
crank the handle
crank up the volume
old crank
Word Forms
cranker comparative, cranked past tense, crunk past tense, cranks plural, Cranks plural, cranks singular, crankest superlative
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He turned the _____ to lower the window manually.
Etymology
From a Germanic word (via Dutch/Low German krank) originally meaning "bent" or "weak" — the mechanical handle is named for its bent shape.