adj.
Pronunciation: ' kra ŋ -k ē
Function: adjective
Inflected Form: crank · i · er ; -est
Etymology: 1 crank
Date: 1821
1 a : given to fretful fussiness : readily angered when opposed : CROTCHETY <our long wait ⋯ left us a tad cranky ― Connecticut > b : marked by eccentricity <his bizarre and cranky mix of ideas and beliefs ― R. J. Evans>
2 : full of twists and turns : TORTUOUS <a cranky road>
3 : working erratically : UNPREDICTABLE <a cranky old tractor>
4 dialect : CRAZY , IMBECILE
– crank · i · ly \ -k ə -l ē \ adverb
– crank · i · ness \ -k ē -n ə s \ noun