crane
A crane is a big bird with a long neck and legs. You might have seen pictures or videos of cranes flying in groups.
You can use the word "crane" to talk about the bird itself, like when you're on a nature walk and spot one. But it's also used for machines that lift heavy things up high. Think of construction sites or ports with big containers being moved around - those are operated by cranes too.
How common is "crane"?
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
noun
Any bird of the family Gruidae, large birds with long legs and a long neck which is extended during flight.
Example: Aquatic birds of various kinds are very numerous, such as geese, darters (Flotus melanogaster), scissor-bills (Rhynchops nigra), adjutants (Leptoptilos argala), pelicans, cormorants, cranes (Grus antigone, in Burmese gyoja), whimbrels, plovers, and ibises.
Real examples of "crane" in context
