I. ˈkrān noun
Etymology: Middle English cran, from Old English; akin to Old High German krano crane, Greek geranos, Latin grus
Date: before 12th century
1. : any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails
2. : any of several herons
3. : an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: as
a. : a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track
b. : an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles
c. : a boom for holding a motion-picture or television camera
[
crane 1
]
II. verb
( craned ; cran·ing )
Date: 1570
transitive verb
1. : to raise or lift by or as if by a crane
2. : to stretch (as the neck) toward an object of attention
craning her neck to get a better view
intransitive verb
1. : to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention
I craned out of the window of my compartment — Webb Waldron
2. : hesitate