Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

crank

 
 
/kræŋk/ noun [C]

Definition

PERSON informal someone with strange ideas or behaviour
HANDLE a handle that you turn to make a machine work
(Definition of crank noun from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

“crank” in other dictionaries

Word of the Day

honest-to-goodness

real or true

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More