crank

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal

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

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

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

“The professor dismissed the letter as the work of a crank, noting that the mathematical proofs provided violated the fundamental laws of thermodynamics.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun American English · Slang

n. a slang name for a powerful and illegal drug.

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

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

“Undercover agents focused their investigation on the distribution of crank within the rural community, identifying several key manufacturing sites.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

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

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

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

“Ground crew members had to manually crank the propeller to start the aircraft's engine in the freezing morning air.”

C1 · Advanced Informal

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

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

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

“Once the marketing campaign launched, the production department began cranking to meet the sudden surge in consumer demand.”

C2 · Proficiency Nautical Technical

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

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

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

“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.”