crank meaning and definition

CRANK noun

Definition of crank (noun)

1. a bad-tempered person
   • synonyms: churl, crosspatch, grouch, grump
2. a whimsically eccentric person
   • synonyms: crackpot, fruitcake, nut, nut case, screwball
3. an amphetamine derivative (trade name Methedrine) used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant
   • synonyms: chalk, chicken feed, deoxyephedrine, glass, ice, meth, methamphetamine, methamphetamine hydrochloride, Methedrine, shabu, trash
4. a hand tool consisting of a rotating shaft with parallel handle
   • synonyms: starter

CRANK verb

Definition of crank (verb)

1. travel along a zigzag path
   • "The river zigzags through the countryside"
   • synonyms: zigzag
2. start by cranking
   • "crank up the engine"
   • synonyms: crank up
3. rotate with a crank
   • synonyms: crank up
4. fasten with a crank
5. bend into the shape of a crank

CRANK adjective

Definition of crank (adjective)

1. (used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail
   • synonyms: cranky, tender, tippy