Crank
/kræŋk/noun
A handle or lever that is turned in a circular motion to operate a machine.
Did you know?In 17th-century England, 'crank' was used to describe a person who was mentally unstable, linking it to a sense of agitation or erratic behavior, almost as if possessed by a machine's frenzy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krankaz
“bent, crooked, or weak.”
Old English
OE
cranc
“a bending or crooked part, a crank.”
Middle English
ME
cranke
“a handle, lever, or crank used in machinery.”
17th Century
English
crank
“to turn a handle, later used as slang for an eccentric or odd person.”
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