CRANK
What does "CRANK" mean?
A bent arm or handle turned to convert rotation into motion or to start a machine.
Meanings
- An L-shaped handle or shaft that transmits rotary motion. He turned the crank and the old well bucket began to rise.
- A bad-tempered or eccentric person, especially one with odd fixed ideas. The old crank next door yells at anyone who steps on his lawn. informal
- To start or operate by turning a crank, or to increase intensity. Crank up the music - it's a celebration. informal
Did you know?
- Calling a stubborn eccentric a 'crank' comes from the machine part: the idea is of a mind 'bent' or crooked, the same twist as the handle.
- The word 'cranky' (irritable) and 'crank' (a handle) share this root - both circle back to the sense of being bent or out of straight.
Word origin
From Old English 'cranc' (related to a bent or crooked form); the 'eccentric person' sense grew from the idea of someone mentally 'bent' or twisted out of true.
Remember it
A CRANK is something bent: the handle is bent metal, and the grumpy person is bent out of shape.
A little poem
One bent thing turns the engine into song;
another bent thing tells you you're all wrong.
couplet
Wordplay
- The grumpy mechanic was easy to start in the morning - you just had to know which crank to turn.
What it teaches
The same bend that drives a machine can sour a temper; angle is everything.
Quick facts
What does CRANK mean?
A bent arm or handle turned to convert rotation into motion or to start a machine.
Is CRANK a valid word?
Yes — CRANK is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is CRANK?
CRANK has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does CRANK come from?
From Old English 'cranc' (related to a bent or crooked form); the 'eccentric person' sense grew from the idea of someone mentally 'bent' or twisted out of true.
What can CRANK teach us?
The same bend that drives a machine can sour a temper; angle is everything.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.