noun
- a handle that is turned to operate a machine or mechanism
- a person with strange or eccentric ideas
Usage: informal
verb
- to turn a crank to start or operate something
- to produce something quickly or in large quantities
Usage: informal
adjective
- irritable or bad-tempered
Usage: informal
Examples
- He turned the crank to start the old car engine.
- The ice cream maker has a manual crank on the side.
- My neighbor is a bit of a crank who complains about everything.
- She had to crank the handle several times before the motor started.
- The factory can crank out hundreds of widgets per hour.
- Don’t talk to him when he’s feeling crank in the morning.
- The old well required a crank to draw up water.