English · Word Candidate

crane

/kɹeɪn/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: cranes · craning · craned

Sense 1

Meaning · English

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

Noun

Examples

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.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Ardea herodias, the great blue heron.

NounRegister: US

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To extend (one's neck).

Verb

Examples

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,

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Meaning · English

To raise or lower with, or as if with, a crane.

Verb

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “crane” mean?

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

Is “crane” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.