ENGLISH
REFERENCE

crank

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈkɹæŋk// UK //kɹˈæŋk// crank
  1. 1 mechanical handle (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a handle or arm that you turn to make a wheel or machine move.

    a part of an axle or shaft bent at right angles, used to convert reciprocal motion into circular motion or vice versa.

    Example

    He turned the iron crank on the side of the well to bring up the bucket of water.

    Example

    The vintage engine required a manual crank to initiate the combustion cycle, a task that demanded significant physical exertion from the operator.
  2. 2 an eccentric person (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    a person who has very strange ideas or who is obsessed with one particular subject.

    an eccentric person, especially one who persistently promotes unconventional or flawed theories in technical or scientific fields.

    Example

    The local crank spent all his time writing letters to the newspaper about aliens.

    Example

    The professor dismissed the letter as the work of a crank, noting that the mathematical proofs provided violated the fundamental laws of thermodynamics.
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  1. 3 methamphetamine (n.)
    C2 Proficiency American English Slang

    a slang name for a powerful and illegal drug.

    a slang term for methamphetamine, particularly in its powdered form.

    Example

    The police arrested the man for possession of crank and other illegal substances.

    Example

    Undercover agents focused their investigation on the distribution of crank within the rural community, identifying several key manufacturing sites.
  2. 4 to turn a handle (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to turn a handle or a part of a machine to make it work.

    to rotate a shaft or engine by means of a crank, often to initiate operation.

    Example

    You have to crank the handle several times before the old gramophone starts playing.

    Example

    Ground crew members had to manually crank the propeller to start the aircraft's engine in the freezing morning air.
  3. 5 to operate at high intensity (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    to work or run at a very high level of effort or speed.

    to function or produce output at a high level of intensity or speed; often used with 'up'.

    Example

    By mid-afternoon, the factory was really cranking and orders were flying out the door.

    Example

    Once the marketing campaign launched, the production department began cranking to meet the sudden surge in consumer demand.
  4. 6 unstable ship (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Nautical

    describing a ship that is likely to tip over because it is not balanced well.

    liable to capsize or roll excessively due to a high centre of gravity or insufficient ballast.

    Example

    The sailors were worried because the ship felt crank after they loaded the heavy cargo on deck.

    Example

    The vessel proved dangerously crank during the storm, as the lack of bottom ballast made it nearly impossible to maintain a steady course against the gale.
Etymology 1

From Dutch or Low German krank, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic krank, from Proto-Germanic krangaz, *krankaz (“bent; weak”). Cognate with Scots crank, krank, German krank (“sick”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English crank, cronk, from a shortening of Old English crancstæf (“weaving tool, crank”, literally “bent or crooked staff”), the first element ultimately related to Etymology 1 above.

Idioms4 entries

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