What is "crank"

Crank \Crank\ (kr[a^][ng]k), n. [OE. cranke; akin to E. cringe, cringle, crinkle, and to crank, a., the root meaning, probably, ``to turn, twist.'' See Cringe.]

1. (Mach.) A bent portion of an axle, or shaft, or an arm keyed at right angles to the end of a shaft, by which motion is imparted to or received from it; also used to change circular into reciprocating motion, or reciprocating into circular motion. See Bell crank.

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

   So many turning cranks these have, so many crooks.
   --Spenser.

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

   Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles.
   --Milton.

4. A twist or turn of the mind; caprice; whim; crotchet; also, a fit of temper or passion. [Prov. Eng.]

   Violent of temper; subject to sudden cranks.
   --Carlyle.

5. A person full of crotchets; one given to fantastic or impracticable projects; one whose judgment is perverted in respect to a particular matter. [Colloq.]

6. A sick person; an invalid. [Obs.]

   Thou art a counterfeit crank, a cheater.
   --Burton.

   Crank axle (Mach.), a driving axle formed with a crank or cranks, as in some kinds of locomotives.

   Crank pin (Mach.), the cylindrical piece which forms the handle, or to which the connecting rod is attached, at the end of a crank, or between the arms of a double crank.

   Crank shaft, a shaft bent into a crank, or having a crank fastened to it, by which it drives or is driven.

   Crank wheel, a wheel acting as a crank, or having a wrist to which a connecting rod is attached.

Crank \Crank\, v. i. [See Crank, n.] To run with a winding course; to double; to crook; to wind and turn.

See how this river comes me cranking in.
--Shak.

Crank \Crank\ (kr[a^][ng]k), a. [AS. cranc weak; akin to Icel. krangr, D. & G. krank sick, weak (cf. D. krengen to careen). Cf. Crank, n.]

1. Sick; infirm. [Prov. Eng.]

2. (Naut.) Liable to careen or be overset, as a ship when she is too narrow, or has not sufficient ballast, or is loaded too high, to carry full sail.

3. Full of spirit; brisk; lively; sprightly; overconfident; opinionated.

   He who was, a little before, bedrid, . . . was now crank and lusty.
   --Udall.

   If you strong electioners did not think you were among the elect, you would not be so crank about it.
   --Mrs. Stowe.

1590s, "to zig-zag," from crank (n.). Meaning "to turn a crank" is first attested 1908, with reference to automobile engines. Related: Cranked; cranking.

"handle for turning a revolving axis," Old English *cranc, implied in crancstæf "a weaver's instrument," crencestre "female weaver, spinster," from Proto-Germanic base *krank-, and related to crincan "to bend, yield" (see crinkle, cringe). English retains the literal sense of the ancient root, while German and Dutch krank "sick," formerly "weak, small," is from a figurative use. The 1825 supplement to Jamieson's Scottish dictionary has crank "infirm, weak, etc."\n

\nThe sense of "an eccentric person," especially one who is irrationally fixated, is first recorded 1833, said to be from the crank of a barrel organ, which makes it play the same tune over and over; but more likely a back-formation from cranky (q.v.). Meaning "methamphetamine" attested by 1989.

1. 1 (context slang English) strange, weird, odd 2 sick; unwell; infirm 3 (context nautical of a ship English) Liable to capsize because of poorly stowed cargo or insufficient ballast. 4 Full of spirit; brisk; lively; sprightly; overconfident; opinionated. n. 1 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.(rfex) 2 The act of converting power into motion, by turning a crankshaft. 3 (context archaic English) Any bend, turn, or winding, as of a passage. 4 (context informal English) An ill-tempered or nasty person 5 A twist or turn of the mind; caprice; whim; crotchet; also, a fit of temper or passion. 6 (context informal British dated in US English) A person who is considered strange or odd by others. They may behave in unconventional ways. 7 (context informal English) An advocate of a pseudoscience movement. 8 (context US slang English) methamphetamine. 9 (context rare English) A twist or turn in speech; a conceit consisting in a change of the form or meaning of a word. 10 (context obsolete English) A sick person; an invalid. 11 (context slang English) penis. v

2. 1 (context transitive English) To turn by means of a '''crank'''. 2 (context intransitive English) To turn a '''crank'''. 3 (context intransitive of a '''crank''' or similar English) To turn. 4 (context transitive English) To cause to spin via other means, as though turned by a crank. 5 (context intransitive English) To act in a cranky manner; to behave unreasonably and irritably, especially through complain. 6 (context intransitive English) To be running at a high level of output or effort. 7 (context intransitive dated English) To run with a winding course; to double; to crook; to wind and turn.

1. v. travel along a zigzag path; "The river zigzags through the countryside" [syn: zigzag]

2. start by cranking; "crank up the engine" [syn: crank up]

3. rotate with a crank [syn: crank up]

4. fasten with a crank

5. bend into the shape of a crank

1. n. a bad-tempered person [syn: grouch, grump, churl, crosspatch]

2. a whimsically eccentric person [syn: crackpot, nut, nut case, nutcase, fruitcake, screwball]

3. amphetamine used in the form of a crystalline hydrochloride; used as a stimulant to the nervous system and as an appetite suppressant [syn: methamphetamine, methamphetamine hydrochloride, Methedrine, meth, deoxyephedrine, chalk, chicken feed, glass, ice, shabu, trash]

4. a hand tool consisting of a rotating shaft with parallel handle [syn: starter]

adj. (used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail [syn: cranky, tender, tippy]

Crank may refer to:

"Crank" is a pejorative term used for a person who holds an unshakable belief that most of his or her contemporaries consider to be false. A crank belief is so wildly at variance with those commonly held as to be ludicrous. Cranks characteristically dismiss all evidence or arguments which contradict their own unconventional beliefs, making rational debate a futile task, and rendering them impervious to facts, evidence, and rational inference.

Common synonyms for "crank" include crackpot and kook. A crank differs from a fanatic in that the subject of the fanatic's obsession is either not necessarily widely regarded as wrong or not necessarily a "fringe" belief. Similarly, the word quack is reserved for someone who promotes a medical remedy or practice that is widely considered to be ineffective; this term, however, does not imply any deep belief in the idea or product they are attempting to sell. Crank may also refer to an ill-tempered individual or one who is in a bad mood, but that usage is not the subject of this article.

Although a crank's beliefs are ridiculous to experts in the field, cranks are sometimes very successful in convincing non-experts of their views. A famous example is the Indiana Pi Bill where a state legislature nearly wrote into law a crank result in geometry.

Crank is a novel by Ellen Hopkins published in 2004. It is based loosely around the real life addictions of her daughter to crystal meth. The book is required reading in "many high schools, as well as many drug and drug court programs". However, the book has been banned in many locations due to complaints that the book's depictions of drug use, adult language, and sexual themes are inappropriate for some readers.

"Crank" is a song by the alternative rock band Catherine Wheel. It was the first single from their 1993 album, Chrome.

The song reached No. 66 on the UK charts and No. 5 on the US modern rock charts.

Crank is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Anthony Crank, British television presenter
• John Crank (1916–2006), British mathematical physicist
• Marion Crank (1915-1994), Arkansas politician
• Patrick Crank, American lawyer

A crank is an arm attached at right angles to a rotating shaft by which reciprocating motion is imparted to or received from the shaft. It is used to convert circular motion into reciprocating motion, or vice versa. The arm may be a bent portion of the shaft, or a separate arm or disk attached to it. Attached to the end of the crank by a pivot is a rod, usually called a connecting rod. The end of the rod attached to the crank moves in a circular motion, while the other end is usually constrained to move in a linear sliding motion.

The term often refers to a human-powered crank which is used to manually turn an axle, as in a bicycle crankset or a brace and bit drill. In this case a person's arm or leg serves as the connecting rod, applying reciprocating force to the crank. There is usually a bar perpendicular to the other end of the arm, often with a freely rotatable handle or pedal attached.

Crank is a 2006 American action black comedy film written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor and starring Jason Statham, Amy Smart and Jose Pablo Cantillo. The plot centers on a British hitman in Los Angeles named Chev Chelios who is poisoned and must keep his adrenaline flowing constantly in order to keep himself alive. He does so by various methods including taking drugs and getting into fights, while he tries to track down the man who poisoned him. The title of the film comes from the slang word for methamphetamine.

The film was followed by a sequel, entitled High Voltage, in 2009.

Crank is iconic Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' sixth studio album, released in early March 1994. The album was produced by Ed Stasium ( Ramones, Living Colour, The Smithereens), who had mixed Hoodoo Gurus previous studio album, Kinky in 1991. It was the band's first release on Zoo Records.

The first single from the album, "The Right Time", released in November 1993, reached No. 41 on the ARIA Singles Chart with the second single, "You Open My Eyes", released in February 1994, reaching No. 43 and the third single, "Less Than a Feeling", released May 1994, peaking at No. 6.

EMI re-released the album on 6 February 2005 with an additional nine bonus tracks, a fold out poster and liner notes by Andy Strachan ( The Living End). One of the bonus tracks is " Television Addict" which was originally performed by Perth punk band The Victims in 1977 with Gurus' Dave Faulkner known as Dave Flick. "Turn Up Your Radio" originally by Australian band The Masters Apprentices was released in 1995 as a single credited to The Masters Apprentices with Hoodoo Gurus.

Crank is the fourth studio album released by Scottish heavy metal band The Almighty. Two singles, "Jonestown Mind" and "Wrench" were released from the album in multiple parts in the United Kingdom. Music videos were made for both singles. Crank peaked at #15 in the UK albums chart. Crank is a slang term for low-purity Crystal methamphetamine that is usually administered in powder form. It is a stimulant that affects the Central nervous system by causing increased alertness and heart rate. An extended high is usually followed by a severe crash that can result in aggression from the user. The cover artwork, showing an angel throwing a Molotov cocktail at a planet ( earth) made out of money was created by noted British artist and anarchist Jamie Reid, who also designed the famous ransom note cover for the Sex Pistols album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols.

The album was remastered and re-released only in Japan under the Victor Entertainment label including all the studio b-sides from singles released from the album.

Andy Cairns, front-man of North Irish Alt-metal band Therapy? contributed vocals to several tracks.