Word Explorer

Crank

/kɹæŋk/

A bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an attached arm perpendicular, or nearly so, to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation to a wheel or other mechanical device; also used to change circular into reciprocating motion, or reciprocating into circular motion.

📖 Definitions of "Crank"

noun
  1. 1

    A bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an attached arm perpendicular, or nearly so, to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation to a wheel or other mechanical device; also used to change circular into reciprocating motion, or reciprocating into circular motion.

    "I grind my coffee by hand with a coffee grinder with a crank handle."

  2. 2

    The act of converting power into motion, by turning a crankshaft.

    "Yes, a crank was all it needed to start."

  3. 3

    Any bend, turn, or winding, as of a passage.

  4. 4

    An ill-tempered or nasty person.

    "Billy-Bob is a nasty old crank! He chased my cat away."

verb
  1. 1

    To turn by means of a crank.

    "Motorists had to crank their engine by hand."

  2. 2

    To turn a crank.

    "He's been cranking all day and yet it refuses to crank."

  3. 3

    (of a crank or similar) To turn.

    "He's been cranking all day and yet it refuses to crank."

  4. 4

    To cause to spin via other means, as though turned by a crank.

    "Crank it up!"

adjective
  1. 1

    Strange, weird, odd.

  2. 2

    Sick; unwell

  3. 3

    (of a ship) Liable to capsize because of poorly stowed cargo or insufficient ballast.

  4. 4

    Full of spirit; brisk; lively; sprightly; overconfident; opinionated.

noun
  1. 1

    A highly addictive phenethylamine stimulant drug, similar to cocaine. Its systematic (IUPAC) name is (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine.

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