CRANK


Meaning of CRANK in English

~ 1

■ verb

1》 turn a ~shaft or handle, especially in order to start an engine.

2》 ( ~ something up ) informal increase the intensity of something.

3》 ( ~ something out ) informal, derogatory produce something regularly and routinely.

4》 give a bend to (a shaft or bar).

■ noun a part of an axle or shaft bent out at right angles, for converting reciprocal to circular motion and vice versa.

Origin

OE cranc , related to crincan (see cringe ).

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~ 2

■ noun

1》 a person with eccentric or obsessive views.

↘ N. Amer. a bad-tempered person.

2》 literary a fanciful turn of speech.

Origin

back-form. from ~y ; sense 2 is perh. from a base meaning 'bent together, curled up', shared by ~ 1 .

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~ 3

■ adjective Nautical, archaic (of a sailing ship) liable to heel over.

Origin

C17: perh. from dialect ~ 'weak, shaky'.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.