crank

C2+ Topic:People & Society

US /kræŋk/ UK /kræŋk/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like clank /l/ vs /ɹ/

Meanings

1

noun
an eccentric person; a bent arm-and-handle used to turn a shaft

He turned the crank to raise the bucket from the well.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an eccentric person; a bent... eccentric crackpotoddballhandle winch

Word family

Derived forms crankycrankily

Related forms cringe crinkle

Etymology

From Old English 'cranc' (in 'crancstaef', a weaving implement), related to the Germanic root meaning 'bend, crook'. The 'eccentric person' sense derives from the idea of a twisted or bent disposition.

cranc Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society

External links

# crank

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kræŋk/
**IPA (UK):** /kræŋk/

## Meanings
1. an eccentric person; a bent arm-and-handle used to turn a shaft

## Examples
- He turned the crank to raise the bucket from the well.

## Synonyms
- eccentric
- crackpot
- oddball
- handle
- winch

## Derived Forms
- cranky
- crankily

## Related Forms
- cringe
- crinkle

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: cranc

## Etymology
From Old English 'cranc' (in 'crancstaef', a weaving implement), related to the Germanic root meaning 'bend, crook'. The 'eccentric person' sense derives from the idea of a twisted or bent disposition.

## AI Etymology
Crank comes from Old English 'cranc' (in 'crancstaef', a weaving implement), related to the Germanic root meaning 'bend, crook'. The 'eccentric person' sense derives from the idea of a twisted or bent disposition. The historical trail runs through Old English cranc. The later sense follows a semantic development already present in the word's history. In modern use it means an eccentric person; a bent arm-and-handle used to turn a shaft. Derived formations include cranky, crankily; related forms include cringe, crinkle.

## Topics
- People & Society

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