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
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
Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2025
Forrestal’s first graders had a front-row view outside as the crane lifted the final beam into place as the rest of the student body watched a livestream of the event Tuesday in North Chicago marking a major step toward completion of the building.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Vito, a small breed dog from Chapel Hill, N.C., craned his neck to look up at his handler, Michael Scott, when the award was announced, as if trying to understand what all the excitement was about.
—Jackie Northam, NPR, 28 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crane
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Noun
Eagles, herons, cranes, deer and alligators make their homes in the nearby flatwoods and marshes.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2025
Forrestal’s first graders had a front-row view outside as the crane lifted the final beam into place as the rest of the student body watched a livestream of the event Tuesday in North Chicago marking a major step toward completion of the building.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
Before half-time last night, Watkins craned his neck and headed into the far corner, putting Villa 2-1 up and rediscovering the goalscoring edge from last season.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Vito, a small breed dog from Chapel Hill, N.C., craned his neck to look up at his handler, Michael Scott, when the award was announced, as if trying to understand what all the excitement was about.
—Jackie Northam, NPR, 28 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for crane
Cite this Entry
“Crane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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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