crank

¹

[krangk]

noun

1. Machinery.,  any of several types of arms or levers for imparting rotary or oscillatory motion to a rotating shaft, one end of the crank being fixed to the shaft and the other end receiving reciprocating motion from a hand, connecting rod, etc.

2. Informal.,  an ill-tempered, grouchy person.

3. an unbalanced person who is overzealous in the advocacy of a private cause.

4. an eccentric or whimsical notion.

5. a strikingly clever turn of speech or play on words.

6. Archaic.,  a bend; turn.

7. Slang.,  the nasal decongestant propylhexedrine, used illicitly for its euphoric effects.

8. Automotive Slang.,  a crankshaft.

verb (used with object)

1. to bend into or make in the shape of a crank.

2. to furnish with a crank.

3. Machinery.,  to rotate (a shaft) by means of a crank.

4. to start (an internal-combustion engine) by turning the crankshaft manually or by means of a small motor.

5. to start the engine of (a motor vehicle) by turning the crankshaft manually.

verb (used without object)

1. to turn a crank, as in starting an automobile engine.

2. Obsolete.,  to turn and twist; zigzag.

adjective

1. unstable; shaky; unsteady.

2. of, relating to, or by an unbalanced or overzealous person.

   a crank phone call; crank mail.

3. British Dialect.,  cranky.

verb phrase

1. crank out,  to make or produce in a mass-production, effortless, or mechanical way.

   She's able to crank out one best-selling novel after another.

2. crank in / into,  to incorporate as an integral part.

   Overhead is cranked into the retail cost.

3. crank down,  to cause to diminish or terminate.

   the president's efforts to crank down inflation.

4. crank up

   1. to get started or ready.

      The theater season is cranking up with four benefit performances.

   2. to stimulate, activate, or produce.

      to crank up enthusiasm for a new product.

   3. to increase one's efforts, output, etc..

      Industry began to crank up after the new tax incentives became law.

crank

²

[krangk]

adjective

Nautical.

1. Also having a tendency to roll easily, as a boat or ship; tender (stiff ).

noun

1. a crank vessel.

crank

³

[krangk]

adjective

British Dialect.

1. lively; high-spirited.

crank

¹

/ kræŋk /

noun

1. a device for communicating motion or for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa. It consists of an arm projecting from a shaft, often with a second member attached to it parallel to the shaft

2. Also called: crank handle.  starting handle. a handle incorporating a crank, used to start an engine or motor

3. informal

   1. an eccentric or odd person, esp someone who stubbornly maintains unusual views

   2. a bad-tempered person

verb

1. (tr) to rotate (a shaft) by means of a crank

2. (tr) to start (an engine, motor, etc) by means of a crank handle

3. (tr) to bend, twist, or make into the shape of a crank

4. obsolete,  (intr) to twist or wind

crank

²

/ kræŋk /

adjective

1. (of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by the wind; tender

Other Word Forms

• crankless adjective
• noncranking adjective
• uncranked adjective
• crankly adverb
• crankness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of crank¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English crank, cronk, Old English cranc-, in crancstæf, a kind of weaver's tool ( staff ¹ )

Origin of crank²

First recorded in 1690–1700; probably to be identified with crank ¹, but sense development unclear; crank-sided

Origin of crank³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cranke; of obscure origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of crank¹

Old English cranc; related to Middle Low German krunke wrinkle, Dutch krinkel _crinkle

Origin of crank²

C17: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to _crank ¹

Example Sentences

It’s in service of crank conspiracy theories, quack wellness influencers and weird dystopian visions of supermen doing pull-ups to demonstrate their patriotism.

From Salon

Scanning the spice rack, I added garlic powder, onion powder and a very, very generous crank of black pepper, and the butter thickened under the stir of a spoonful of flour.

From Salon

It’s difficult to imagine a worse addition to this oil-and-water mix of high-minded nonconformist cranks and hard-toiling middle-class settlers than a capitalist sybarite.

From Los Angeles Times

Paramount has no plans to crank out low-cost films for its Paramount+ streaming platform, said Cindy Holland, the new head of streaming for Paramount.

From Los Angeles Times

The old crank in me wished that I laughed harder than I did.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• zealot