crank
Noun · Verb · AdjectiveOpen English WordNet
Noun (4)cranks
- a bad-tempered personSynonyms: grouchgrumpchurlcrosspatchType of unpleasant person, disagreeable personKinds misanthrope, crab, fire-eater
- a whimsically eccentric personSynonyms: crackpotnutnut casefruitcakescrewballType of eccentric, eccentric person
- an amphetamine derivative (trade name Methedrine) used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressantSynonyms: methamphetaminemethamphetamine hydrochlorideMethedrinemethdeoxyephedrinechalkchicken feedglassiceshabutrashType of amphetamine, controlled substance
- a hand tool consisting of a rotating shaft with parallel handleSynonyms: starterType of hand toolKinds crank handle, starting handle
Verb (5)cranks, cranked, cranking
- travel along a zigzag path“The river zigzags through the countryside”Synonyms: zigzagMore general travel, goInvolves turn
- start by cranking“crank up the engine”Synonyms: crank upMore general start, start up
- rotate with a crankSynonyms: crank upMore general rotate, circumvolve
- fasten with a crankMore general fasten, fix
- bend into the shape of a crankMore general flex, bend
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: OE. cranke; akin to E. cringe, cringle, crinkle, and to crank, a., the root meaning, probably, “to turn, twist.” See Cringe.
1. Machinery 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.
2. Any bend, turn, or winding, as of a passage.
So many turning cranks these have, so many crooks.— Edmund Spenser
3. A twist or turn in speech; a conceit consisting in a change of the form or meaning of a word.
Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles.— John Milton
4. A twist or turn of the mind; caprice; whim; crotchet; also, a fit of temper or passion. dialect (England)
Violent of temper; subject to sudden cranks.— Thomas Carlyle
5. A person full of crotchets; one given to fantastic or impracticable projects; one whose judgment is perverted in respect to a particular matter. colloquial
6. A sick person; an invalid. obsolete
Thou art a counterfeit crank, a cheater.— Burton, Robert
Crank axle Machinery, a driving axle formed with a crank or cranks, as in some kinds of locomotives. — Crank pin Machinery, 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.
Origin: AS. cranc weak; akin to Icel. krangr, D. & G. krank sick, weak (cf. D. krengen to careen). Cf. Crank, noun
1. Sick; infirm. dialect (England)
2. Nautical 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.
3. Full of spirit; brisk; lively; sprightly; overconfident; opinionated.
He who was, a little before, bedrid,... was now crank and lusty.— Nicholas Udall
If you strong electioners did not think you were among the elect, you would not be so crank about it.— Harriet Beecher Stowe
Origin: See Crank, noun
To run with a winding course; to double; to crook; to wind and turn.
See how this river comes me cranking in.— William Shakespeare
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
(Automotive slang) Verb used to describe the performance of a machine, especially sustained performance. "This box cranks (or, cranks at) about 6 megaflops, with a burst mode of twice that on vectorised operations." [Jargon File]
(1994-12-01)
The Jargon File
[from automotive slang] Verb used to describe the performance of a machine, especially sustained performance. “This box cranks (or, cranks at) about 6 megaflops, with a burst mode of twice that on vectorized operations.”