What is "crane"

crane \crane\, v. i. to reach forward with head and neck, in order to see better; as, a hunter cranes forward before taking a leap.
--Beaconsfield. Thackeray.

The passengers eagerly craning forward over the bulwarks.
--Howells.

Crotch \Crotch\ (kr[o^]ch; 224), n.; pl. Crotches (kr[o^]ch"[e^]z). [Cf. Crotchet, Crutch.]

1. The angle formed by the parting of two legs or branches; a fork; the point where a trunk divides; as, the crotch of a tree. more specifically, the space on the human torso between the two legs; also, the corresponding part between the legs of a pair of pants, which is in contact with the crotch of the wearer; as, pants with a tight crotch have become very popular.

2. (Naut.) A stanchion or post of wood or iron, with two arms for supporting a boom, spare yards, etc.; -- called also crane and crutch.
   --Totten.

3. (Billiards) In the three-ball carom game, a small space at each corner of the table. See Crotched, below.

Old English cran "large wading bird," common Germanic (cognates: Old Saxon krano, Old High German krano, German Kranich, and, with unexplained change of consonant, Old Norse trani), from PIE *gere- (cognates: Greek geranos, Latin grus, Welsh garan, Lithuanian garnys "heron, stork"), perhaps echoic of its cry. Metaphoric use for "machine with a long arm" is first attested late 13c. (a sense also in equivalent words in German and Greek).

"to stretch (the neck)," 1799, from crane (n.). Related: Craned; craning.

n. (surname)

v. stretch (the neck) so as to see better; "The women craned their necks to see the President drive by" [syn: stretch out]

Crane or cranes may refer to:

• Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird
  • Thousand origami cranes, paper crane, an origami version of this bird
• Crane (machine), an industrial machinery for lifting
  • Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads
  • Container crane, a machine for lifting intermodal containers

Crane or cranes may also refer to

Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the group Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Cranes live on all continents except Antarctica and South America.

They are opportunistic feeders that change their diet according to the season and their own nutrient requirements. They eat a range of items from suitably sized small rodents, fish, amphibians, and insects to grain, berries, and plants.

Cranes construct platform nests in shallow water, and typically lay two eggs at a time. Both parents help to rear the young, which remain with them until the next breeding season.

Some species and populations of cranes migrate over long distances; others do not migrate at all. Cranes are solitary during the breeding season, occurring in pairs, but during the non-breeding season they are gregarious, forming large flocks where their numbers are sufficient.

Most species of cranes have been affected by human activities and are at the least classified as threatened, if not critically endangered. The plight of the whooping cranes of North America inspired some of the first US legislation to protect endangered species.

A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist rope, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It is mainly used for lifting heavy things and transporting them to other places. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of a human. Cranes are commonly employed in the transport industry for the loading and unloading of freight, in the construction industry for the movement of materials and in the manufacturing industry for the assembling of heavy equipment.

The first known construction cranes were invented by the Ancient Greeks and were powered by men or beasts of burden, such as donkeys. These cranes were used for the construction of tall buildings. Larger cranes were later developed, employing the use of human treadwheels, permitting the lifting of heavier weights. In the High Middle Ages, harbour cranes were introduced to load and unload ships and assist with their construction – some were built into stone towers for extra strength and stability. The earliest cranes were constructed from wood, but cast iron, iron and steel took over with the coming of the Industrial Revolution.

For many centuries, power was supplied by the physical exertion of men or animals, although hoists in watermills and windmills could be driven by the harnessed natural power. The first 'mechanical' power was provided by steam engines, the earliest steam crane being introduced in the 18th or 19th century, with many remaining in use well into the late 20th century. Modern cranes usually use internal combustion engines or electric motors and hydraulic systems to provide a much greater lifting capability than was previously possible, although manual cranes are still utilized where the provision of power would be uneconomic.

Cranes exist in an enormous variety of forms – each tailored to a specific use. Sizes range from the smallest jib cranes, used inside workshops, to the tallest tower cranes, used for constructing high buildings. Mini-cranes are also used for constructing high buildings, in order to facilitate constructions by reaching tight spaces. Finally, we can find larger floating cranes, generally used to build oil rigs and salvage sunken ships.

Some lifting machines do not strictly fit the above definition of a crane, but are generally known as cranes, such as stacker cranes and loader cranes.

A railroad crane (US: crane car or wrecker; UK: breakdown crane) is a type of crane used on a railroad for one of three primary purposes: freight handling in goods yards, permanent way (PW) maintenance, and accident recovery work. Although the design differs according to the type of work, the basic configuration is similar in all cases: a rotating crane body is mounted on a sturdy chassis fitted with flanged wheels. The body supports the jib (UK; US: boom) and provides all the lifting and operating mechanisms; on larger cranes, an operator's cabin is usually provided. The chassis is fitted with buffing (UK) and/or coupling gear to allow the crane to be moved by a locomotive, although many are also self-propelled to allow limited movement about a work site.

For cranes with a jib that extends beyond the length of the chassis, an idler car (also known as a 'jib carrier' (UK) or 'boom car' (US)) is provided to protect the jib and to allow the crane to be coupled within a train. The idler car is usually a long, flat wagon (i.e. a flatcar) that provides a means of securing the jib for transportation; storage areas for special equipment or supplies are usually fitted too. It was not uncommon for the idler car to be built on a withdrawn revenue-earning wagon.

Crane is a pseudonym of Richard Alan Krieger (born ca. 1956). He is a trumpeter and vocalist that has played and recorded with Minutemen on their albums Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat and Project: Mersh, and with that group's D. Boon in the "Revival of Rock" in Los Angeles in the early 1980s.

He is the songwriter and bassist who started the group Wasted Space/Tragicomedy in 1974; they recorded "Homage to Nada" on New Alliance Records in 1983. He has also played and recorded with Another Umbrella, the Invisible Chains, The Rub, among others.

In 2003, he helped Box-O-Plenty Records founder Richard Derrick assemble the album D. Boon and Friends, featuring jam session and live tapes involving Boon, Crane, and Derrick.

Crane is a surname and may refer to:

Crane is a British black and white adventure series that aired on ITV from 1963 to 1965. It was shown on Monday nights at 8 PM.