Library / English Dictionary

CRANE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Large long-necked wading bird of marshes and plains in many parts of the world

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("crane" is a kind of...):

wader; wading bird (any of many long-legged birds that wade in water in search of food)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "crane"):

Grus americana; whooper; whooping crane (rare North American crane having black-and-white plumage and a trumpeting call)

Holonyms ("crane" is a member of...):

family Gruidae; Gruidae (cranes)

Derivation:

crane (stretch (the neck) so as to see better)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lifts and moves heavy objects; lifting tackle is suspended from a pivoted boom that rotates around a vertical axis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("crane" is a kind of...):

lifting device (a device for lifting heavy loads)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "crane"):

davit (a crane-like device (usually one of a pair) for suspending or lowering equipment (as a lifeboat))

derrick (a simple crane having lifting tackle slung from a boom)

transporter (a crane for moving material with dispatch as in loading and unloading ships)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A small constellation in the southern hemisphere near Phoenix

Synonyms:

Crane; Grus

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Instance hypernyms:

constellation (a configuration of stars as seen from the earth)

Sense 4

Meaning:

United States poet (1899-1932)

Synonyms:

Crane; Harold Hart Crane; Hart Crane

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Instance hypernyms:

poet (a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry))

Sense 5

Meaning:

United States writer (1871-1900)

Synonyms:

Crane; Stephen Crane

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Instance hypernyms:

author; writer (writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay))

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Stretch (the neck) so as to see better

Example:

The women craned their necks to see the President drive by

Synonyms:

crane; stretch out

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "crane" is one way to...):

extend; stretch (extend one's limbs or muscles, or the entire body)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

crane (large long-necked wading bird of marshes and plains in many parts of the world)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Now, Aylward, crane thy neck and see what would have been deemed an old wife's tale when we first turned our faces to the wars.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As we craned our necks through it we could see that the descent was not a very difficult one, and that the level ground was no very great way below us.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Flushed faces began to crane over each other, and angry eyes glared up at us.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Who is this fool's-head who stands in the way of my shoot?” said he, craning up his neck from the ground.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A hoarse roar of laughter from all the company answered it, and flushed faces craned over each other to catch a glimpse of the veteran.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Ha, John!” cried the prince, craning his neck, “who is this cavalier, and what is it that he desires?”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

These unfortunates crowded to the small casements, and craned their necks after the throng as far as they could catch a glimpse of them.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There were two cross-roads before they reached the Lymington Ford, and at each of then Sir Nigel pulled up his horse, and waited with many a curvet and gambade, craning his neck this way and that to see if fortune would send him a venture.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Sir Nigel and Sir Oliver craned their necks to have the clearer view of these famous warriors, the one a chosen leader of free companies, the other a man who by his fierce valor and energy had raised himself from the lowest ranks until he was second only to Chandos himself in the esteem of the army.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The order was swiftly obeyed, and in ten minutes the archers were stretched along by the side of the brook, munching the bread and the bacon which they had brought in their bags, and craning their necks to watch the ever-changing scene beneath them.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)