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crane (krān)
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n.
1.
a. Any of various large wading birds of the family Gruidae, having a long neck, long legs, and a long bill.
b. A similar bird, such as a heron.
2. A machine for hoisting and moving heavy objects by means of cables attached to a movable boom.
3. Any of various devices with a swinging arm, as in a fireplace for suspending a pot.
v. craned, cran·ing, cranes
v.tr.
1. To hoist or move with or as if with a crane.
2. To strain and stretch (the neck, for example) in order to see better.
v.intr.
1. To stretch one's neck toward something for a better view.
2. To be irresolute; hesitate.
[Middle English, from Old English cran; see gerə-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
(click for a larger image)
crane
top: gray crowned crane
Balearica regulorum
bottom: mechanical crane at a construction site
(click for a larger image)
crane
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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