crane
UK[kreɪn]US[kreɪn]
n
a tall machine used for moving heavy objects by suspending them from a projecting arm or beam.
n
a large, tall bird with long legs, a long neck, and a long, straight beak.
v
to stretch out (one's neck) in order to see something.
Etymology
the word 'crane' originates from the old english 'cran', a term for the large wading bird. this old english word is of germanic descent, cognate with similar words in other germanic languages, and is believed to be onomatopoeic, imitating the bird's distinctive cry. the meaning was later extended by analogy to the mechanical lifting device due to the visual resemblance of its long, projecting arm to the bird's extended neck and legs. this semantic shift from a living creature to a man-made machine is a classic example of metaphor driving word evolution.
Analysis
the word is a simplex. it is a direct loan from old english 'cran', which is of germanic origin, related to dutch 'kraan' and german 'kranich'. the ultimate origin is imitative of the bird's call.
Examples
a construction crane was used to lift the steel beams into place.
we saw a flock of sandhill cranes migrating south for the winter.
she craned her neck to get a better view of the stage over the crowd.