Background for cranks

cranks

/kræŋks/

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noun

A bent piece of an axle or shaft, or an attached arm perpendicular, or nearly so, to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a rotation to a wheel or other mechanical device; also used to change circular into reciprocating motion, or reciprocating into circular motion.

Examples :

"I grind my coffee by hand with a coffee grinder with a crank handle."

technical machine part device

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noun

The act of converting power into motion, by turning a crankshaft.

Examples :

"Yes, a crank was all it needed to start."

machine technical action energy physics device process

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noun

Any bend, turn, or winding, as of a passage.

Examples :

"The old road to the lake had many dangerous cranks, making it difficult to drive quickly. "

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noun

An ill-tempered or nasty person.

Examples :

"Billy-Bob is a nasty old crank! He chased my cat away."

person character attitude

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noun

A twist or turn of the mind; caprice; whim;

Examples :

"Her sudden decision to quit her job was one of her cranks; she often acts impulsively. "

mind character attitude

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noun

A fit of temper or passion.

Examples :

"After losing the game, the boy had a sudden crank and slammed his door. "

emotion attitude

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noun

(dated in US) A person who is considered strange or odd by others. They may behave in unconventional ways.

Examples :

"John is a crank because he talks to himself."

person character attitude society culture

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noun

(1800s) A baseball fan.

Examples :

"Back in the 1880s, the most dedicated baseball cranks would arrive at the ballpark hours before the game, eager to secure the best seats. "

sport person entertainment history

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noun

An advocate of a pseudoscience movement.

Examples :

"That crank next door thinks he’s created cold fusion in his garage."

theory person attitude science philosophy

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noun

A twist or turn in speech; word play consisting in a change of the form or meaning of a word.

Examples :

"The comedian's routine was filled with cranks, twisting common phrases into unexpected and funny meanings. "

language linguistics word literature

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noun

A sick person; an invalid.

Examples :

"The hospital ward was full of cranks, all hoping to recover quickly. "

medicine person disease

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noun

body organ sex anatomy

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verb

To turn by means of a crank.

Examples :

"Motorists had to crank their engine by hand."

machine technical action

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verb

To turn a crank.

Examples :

"He cranks the handle on the ice cream maker to churn the ingredients. "

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verb

(of a crank or similar) To turn.

Examples :

"He cranks the handle of the old pencil sharpener to sharpen his pencil. "

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verb

To cause to spin via other means, as though turned by a crank.

Examples :

"Crank it up!"

action machine energy technology

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verb

To act in a cranky manner; to behave unreasonably and irritably, especially through complaining.

Examples :

"Quit cranking about your spilt milk!"

attitude character emotion human mind

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verb

To be running at a high level of output or effort.

Examples :

"By one hour into the shift, the boys were really cranking."

action energy work machine function

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verb

To run with a winding course; to double; to crook; to wind and turn.

Examples :

"The old mountain road cranks sharply around the cliffs, making the drive slow and careful. "

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noun

A highly addictive phenethylamine stimulant drug, similar to cocaine. Its systematic (IUPAC) name is (S)-N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine.

Examples :

"Police warned about the dangers of "cranks" after finding a large quantity of the illegal drug during a raid. "

medicine substance chemistry