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
Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Elliot said the crane will be removed by an even larger crane perched atop a barge.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 28 May 2025
At one point, cinematographer Adib Sobhani’s camera cranes up above the schoolyard, showing students and parents separated by a fence that Aliyar accidentally locked.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for crane
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Noun
Container ships and gantry cranes are pictured in Seattle, Washington, on November 16, 2014.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Elliot said the crane will be removed by an even larger crane perched atop a barge.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
Verb
As the room started to realize the album was over, heads slowly craned to the back entrance.
—Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 28 May 2025
At one point, cinematographer Adib Sobhani’s camera cranes up above the schoolyard, showing students and parents separated by a fence that Aliyar accidentally locked.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for crane
Cite this Entry
“Crane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane. Accessed 20 Jun. 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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