Crankshaft
/ˈkræŋk.ʃæft/noun
A rotating shaft with one or more cranks, used to convert reciprocating motion into rotary motion.
Did you know?The first element, crank, originally meant a bent or hooked thing, and its older Germanic relatives are tied to twisting and bending rather than any modern slang sense.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
cranc
“crooked, bent, or twisted”
Middle English
ME
crank
“a bend, hook, or turn in something”
Early Modern English
English
crank
“a bent arm or lever used to turn motion”
19th Century
English
crankshaft
“a shaft fitted with cranks to transmit rotary motion in machinery and engines”
Modern English
English
crankshaft
“the rotating shaft in an engine that converts reciprocating motion into rotary motion”