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
Synonyms
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
David R. Martin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
The large, white metal sheet hung delicately from the crane's yellow clasps as crews moved it onto the barrage.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
Peter Baker, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
From the car, the daughter and mother crane their necks to take in entire streets where not a single home remains standing.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for crane 
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Noun
Crews early Monday could be seen aboard a vessel with a crane.
—David R. Martin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
The large, white metal sheet hung delicately from the crane's yellow clasps as crews moved it onto the barrage.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
Mourners craned their necks to gauge the body language as President-elect Donald J. Trump sat near his four peers, none of whom care for him and most of whom ignored him.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
From the car, the daughter and mother crane their necks to take in entire streets where not a single home remains standing.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for crane
Dictionary Entries Near crane
Cite this Entry
“Crane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane. Accessed 9 Feb. 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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