crane

noun

1. Any bird of the family Gruidae, large birds with long legs and a long neck which is extended during flight.

   “Aquatic birds of various kinds are very numerous, such as geese, darters (Flotus melanogaster), scissor-bills (Rhynchops nigra), adjutants (Leptoptilos argala), pelicans, cormorants, cranes (Grus antigone, in Burmese gyoja), whimbrels, plovers, and ibises.”

2. (US, dialectal)Ardea herodias, the great blue heron.
3. A mechanical lifting machine or device, often used for lifting heavy loads for industrial or construction purposes.

   “Large cranes were virtually non-existent in the areas I worked with this truck, so we jacked everything on and off[.]”

4. An iron arm with horizontal motion, attached to the side or back of a fireplace for supporting kettles etc. over the fire.
5. A siphon, or bent pipe, for drawing liquors out of a cask.
6. A forked post or projecting bracket to support spars, etc.; generally used in pairs.
7. (obsolete)The cranium.
8. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of cran (“measure of herrings”).

verb

1. (ambitransitive)To extend (one's neck).

   “and my bachelor's hearth is imbedded where by much craning of head and neck I can catch sight of a sycamore in the Square garden,”

   “Didcot had one definite pleasure. We knew that little boys would be going up and down the platform singing out, "Banbury cakes! Banbury cakes!" And mother would crane out and buy some, just to encourage the crew.”

   “I'm gonna be a star and people will crane necks To get a glimpse of me and see if I am having sex”

2. (transitive)To raise or lower with, or as if with, a crane.

   “What engines, what instruments are used in craning up a soul, sunk below the centre, to the highest heavens.”

   “an upstart craned up to the height he has”

   “Several overnight weekend possessions were required to crane in new bridges and various other parts of the buildings which were manufactured offsite.”

3. (intransitive)To pull up before a jump.

name

1. (countable)A surname.
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