Illustration of crane
- crane 1
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: such 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 movie or television camera
craned; craning
1
: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane
2
: to stretch toward an object of attention
craning her neck to get a better view
1
: to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention
I craned out of the window of my compartment—
Webb Waldron
Webb Waldron2
: hesitate
Synonyms
Examples of crane in a Sentence
Verb
We craned our necks toward the stage.
craned her head to see the roof
Recent Examples on the Web
Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024
Driving the news: With the crane out of the way, crews can remove the buck hoist, or temporary elevator, which transports people and materials to high floors during construction.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2024
As Uber drivers wondered what was causing all the camera flashbulbs and craned their necks to check out models teetering down the cobblestone stretch between Broadway and Lafayette, one thing was clear: the Italians were in town.
—Freya Drohan, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2024
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Noun
The 43-foot statue depicting Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump nude was on display, held up by a crane, on private property across from Madison's Demetral Park.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024
Driving the news: With the crane out of the way, crews can remove the buck hoist, or temporary elevator, which transports people and materials to high floors during construction.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
And so, on July 4, 2004, with dignitaries in attendance and Silverstein fuming, a 20-ton block of polished Adirondack granite was craned into place — before later being trucked away for storage.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2024
As Uber drivers wondered what was causing all the camera flashbulbs and craned their necks to check out models teetering down the cobblestone stretch between Broadway and Lafayette, one thing was clear: the Italians were in town.
—Freya Drohan, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crane
Dictionary Entries Near crane
Cite this Entry
“Crane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crane
1 of 2 noun1
: any of a family of tall wading birds related to the rails
2
: any of several herons
3
a
: a machine with a swinging arm for lifting and carrying heavy weights
b
: a mechanical arm that swings freely from a center and is used to support or carry a weight
crane
2 of 2 verb
craned; craning
1
: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane
2
: to stretch out one's neck to see better
Biographical Definition
Crane
2 of 3biographical name (2)
Stephen 1871–1900 American writer
Crane
3 of 3biographical name (3)
Walter 1845–1915 English artist
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