crank

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

crank, n. [OE. cranke; akin to E. cringe, cringle, crinkle, and to crank, a., the root meaning, probably, “to turn, twist.” See Cringe.].

•  A bent portion of an axle, or shaft, or an arm keyed at right angles to the end of a shaft, by which motion is imparted to or received from it; also used to change circular into reciprocating motion, or reciprocating into circular motion. See Bell crank.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any bend, turn, or winding, as of a passage.  [1913 Webster]

  "So many turning cranks these have, so many crooks."  [1913 Webster]
•  A twist or turn in speech; a conceit consisting in a change of the form or meaning of a word.  [1913 Webster]

  "Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles."  [1913 Webster]
•  A twist or turn of the mind; caprice; whim; crotchet; also, a fit of temper or passion.  [1913 Webster]

  "Violent of temper; subject to sudden cranks."  [1913 Webster]
•  A person full of crotchets; one given to fantastic or impracticable projects; one whose judgment is perverted in respect to a particular matter.  [1913 Webster]
•  A sick person; an invalid.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou art a counterfeit crank, a cheater."  [1913 Webster]

Crank axle (Mach.), a driving axle formed with a crank or cranks, as in some kinds of locomotives. -- Crank pin (Mach.), the cylindrical piece which forms the handle, or to which the connecting rod is attached, at the end of a crank, or between the arms of a double crank. -- Crank shaft, a shaft bent into a crank, or having a crank fastened to it, by which it drives or is driven. -- Crank wheel, a wheel acting as a crank, or having a wrist to which a connecting rod is attached.

crank, a. [AS. cranc weak; akin to Icel. krangr, D. & G. krank sick, weak (cf. D. krengen to careen). Cf. Crank, n.].

•  Sick; infirm.  [1913 Webster]
•  Liable to careen or be overset, as a ship when she is too narrow, or has not sufficient ballast, or is loaded too high, to carry full sail.  [1913 Webster]
•  Full of spirit; brisk; lively; sprightly; overconfident; opinionated.  [1913 Webster]

  "He who was, a little before, bedrid, . . . was now crank and lusty."  [1913 Webster]

  "If you strong electioners did not think you were among the elect, you would not be so crank about it."  [1913 Webster]

crank, v. i. [See Crank, n.].

 To run with a winding course; to double; to crook; to wind and turn.  [1913 Webster]
"See how this river comes me cranking in."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

crank, n. & v.
--n.
1 part of an axle or shaft bent at right angles for interconverting reciprocal and circular motion.
2 an elbow-shaped connection in bell-hanging.
--v.tr.
1 cause to move by means of a crank.
2 a bend into a crank-shape. b furnish or fasten with a crank.

Idiom

crank up
1 start (a car engine) by turning a crank.
2 sl. increase (speed etc.) by intensive effort.

crank, n.
1 a an eccentric person, esp. one obsessed by a particular theory (health-food crank). b US a bad-tempered person.
2 literary a fanciful turn of speech (quips and cranks).

crank, adj. Naut. liable to capsize.

Etymology

perh. f. crank weak, shaky, or CRANK(1)

THESAURUS

crank

L, Tartar, abnormal, aficionado, alien, angle, angle off, anomalous, apex, bar, beam, bear, bee, bellyacher, bend, bifurcate, bifurcation, bight, boom, boutade, brainstorm, branch, branks, buff, bug, cant, cant hook, capriccio, caprice, case, character, chevron, circle, circulate, circumrotate, circumvolute, claw bar, coin, complainant, complainer, conceit, corner, crab, crackbrain, crackpot, crank in, crankish, cranky, craze, crazy idea, croaker, crook, crosspatch, crotchet, crotchety, crow, crowbar, cucking stool, cuckoo, deflection, deviant, deviative, devotee, different, ding-a-ling, divergent, dogleg, dotty, dragon, draw in, draw taut, ducking stool, eccentric, elbow, ell, energumen, enthusiast, erratic, exceptional, fad, fan, fanatic, fanatico, fancy, fantastic notion, fantasy, faultfinder, feist, fey, finger pillory, fire-eater, flake, flaky, flimflam, fool notion, fork, freak, freakish, freakish inspiration, frondeur, funny, furcate, furcation, fury, go around, go round, griper, grizzly bear, grouch, grouser, growler, grumbler, gyrate, gyre, handspike, harebrain, harebrained idea, hermit, hobo, hook, hothead, hotspur, humor, idiocratic, idiosyncratic, infatuate, inflection, iron crow, irregular, jimmy, kicker, kink, kinky, knee, kook, kooky, kvetch, lever, limb, lone wolf, loner, lunatic, lunatic fringe, maggot, maggoty, malcontent, marlinespike, maverick, megrim, meshuggenah, monomaniac, murmurer, mutterer, natural, nonconformist, nook, notion, nut, nutty, odd, odd fellow, oddball, oddity, original, outrigger, outsider, pariah, passing fancy, peavey, peculiar, pedal, pillory, pinch bar, pirouette, pivot, point, prize, pry, pull in, queer, queer duck, queer fish, queer specimen, querulous person, quirk, quirky, quoin, rara avis, reactionary, reactionist, rebel, recluse, reel, reel in, revolve, ripping bar, rotate, round, screw, screwball, screwy, singular, solitary, sorehead, sourpuss, spar, spin, stocks, strange, strange duck, swerve, swing, swivel, tackle, tauten, tighten, toy, tramp, treadle, treadmill, trebuchet, triangle, triangles, trim, turn, turn a pirouette, turn around, turn round, twist, twisted, type, ugly customer, unconventional, unnatural, vagary, veer, vertex, wacky, wamble, weirdo, wheel, whim, whim-wham, whimsical, whimsy, whiner, whipping post, winch, wind, wind in, windlass, wooden horse, wrecking bar, zag, zealot, zig, zigzag

ROGET THESAURUS

crank

Instrument

N instrument, machinery, mechanism, engineering, instrument, organ, tool, implement, utensil, machine, engine, lathe, gin, mill, air engine, caloric engine, heat engine, gear, tackle, tackling, rig, rigging, apparatus, appliances, plant, materiel, harness, trappings, fittings, accouterments, barde, equipment, equipmentage, appointments, furniture, upholstery, chattels, paraphernalia, mechanical powers, lever, leverage, mechanical advantage, crow, crowbar, handspike, gavelock, jemmy, jimmy, arm, limb, wing, oar, paddle, pulley, wheel and axle, wheelwork, clockwork, wheels within wheels, pinion, crank, winch, cam, pedal, capstan, wheel, inclined plane, wedge, screw, spring, mainspring, can hook, glut, heald, heddle, jenny, parbuckle, sprag, water wheel, handle, hilt, haft, shaft, heft, shank, blade, trigger, tiller, helm, treadle, key, turnscrew, screwdriver, knocker, hammer, edge tool, borer, vice, teeth, nail, rope, peg, support, spoon, arms, oar, cardiograph, recapper, snowplow, tenpenny, votograph, instrumental, mechanical, machinal, brachial.

Scourge

N scourge, rod, cane, stick, ratan, rattan, birch, birch rod, azote, blacksnake, bullwhack, chicote, kurbash, quirt, rawhide, sjambok, rod in pickle, switch, ferule, cudgel, truncheon, whip, bullwhip, lash, strap, thong, cowhide, knout, cat, cat o'nine tails, rope's end, pillory, stocks, whipping post, cucking stool, ducking stool, brank, trebuchet, trebuket, triangle, wooden horse, iron maiden, thumbscrew, boot, rack, wheel, iron heel, chinese water torture, treadmill, crank, galleys, scaffold, block, ax, guillotine, stake, cross, gallows, gibbet, tree, drop, noose, rope, halter, bowstring, death chair, electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection, firing squad, mecate, house of correction, goaler, jailer, executioner, electrocutioner, lyncher, hangman, headsman, Jack Ketch.

Wit

N wit, humor, wittiness, sense of humor, attic wit, attic salt, atticism, salt, esprit, point, fancy, whim, drollery, pleasantry, farce, buffoonery, fooling, tomfoolery, shenanigan, harlequinade, broad farce, broad humor, fun, espieglerie, vis comica, jocularity, jocosity, jocoseness, facetiousness, waggery, waggishness, whimsicality, comicality, banter, badinage, retort, repartee, smartness, ready wit, quid- pro-quo, ridicule, jest, joke, jape, jibe, facetiae, levity, quips and cranks, capital joke, canorae nugae, standing jest, standing joke, private joke, conceit, quip, quirk, crank, quiddity, concetto, plaisanterie, brilliant idea, merry thought, bright thought, happy thought, sally, flash of wit, flash of merriment, scintillation, mot, mot pour rire, witticism, smart saying, bon-mot, jeu d'esprit, epigram, jest book, dry joke, quodlibet, cream of the jest, word-play, jeu de mots, play of words, play upon words, pun, punning, double entente, double entendre, quibble, verbal quibble, conundrum, anagram, acrostic, double acrostic, trifling, idle conceit, turlupinade, old joke, tired joke, flat joke, Joe Miller, witty, attic, quick-witted, nimble-witted, smart, jocular, jocose, humorous, facetious, waggish, whimsical, kidding, joking, puckish, playful, merry and wise, pleasant, sprightly, light, spirituel, sparkling, epigrammatic, full of point, ben trovato, comic, zany, madcap, funny, amusing, jokingly, in joke, in jest, in sport, in play, adhibenda est in jocando moderatio, gentle dullness ever loves a joke, leave this keen encounter of our wits, just joking, just kidding, surely you jest!.

Madman

N madman, lunatic, maniac, bedlamite, candidate for Bedlam, raver, madcap, crazy, energumen, automaniac, monomaniac, dipsomaniac, kleptomaniac, hypochondriac (low spirits), crank, Tom o'Bedlam, dreamer, rhapsodist, seer, highflier, enthusiast, fanatic, fanatico, exalte, knight errant, Don Quixote, idiot.