crane
/kreɪn/ (bre, ipa) · [krˈen] /kreɪn/ (ame, ipa) · [krˈen] /ˈkrān/ (ame, mw)
crane — noun
- cranesingular
- cranesplural
1. a piece of heavy equipment with an arm that can swing around, used for raising a
a piece of heavy equipment with an arm that can swing around, used for raising and shifting extremely heavy loads like steel beams or shipping containers.
A yellow crane swung a steel beam onto the half-built bridge.
collocation: swung [object] onto [place]
Port workers used a crane to lift the container from the truck.
collocation: used a crane to lift [object]
The crane operator carefully lowered the air conditioner onto the hospital roof.
Diego watched the crane lift heavy bags of cement to the top floor.
文法句型
crane + verb (singular/plural)
a crane / the crane / cranes
常見錯誤
2. a tall long-legged water bird with a long neck and pointed beak, found in marshe
a tall long-legged water bird with a long neck and pointed beak, found in marshes, wetlands, and plains across much of the globe.
Kenji photographed a grey crane standing in the shallow lake water.
collocation: standing in shallow water
Flocks of migrating cranes return to Ingrid's village every spring.
Amara watched a white crane stand on one leg waiting for fish.
The crane spread its wide wings and rose into the morning sky.
文法句型
a crane / the crane / cranes
flock of cranes
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'heron': cranes have shorter, straighter beaks and fly with their necks straight out, while herons fold their necks back in flight.
常見錯誤
crane — verb
- cranepresent simple I / you / we / they
- cranes3rd person singular
- craning-ing form
- cranedpast simple
1. to stretch your neck forwards, upwards, or sideways in order to see something th
to stretch your neck forwards, upwards, or sideways in order to see something that is partly hidden or far away — for example, craning your neck to watch a parade over a crowd.
The children craned their necks to watch the parade go by.
transitive: crane + possessive + neck
Hassan craned forward to read the tiny print on the old map.
intransitive: craned forward
Wei craned his neck to see the stage above the crowd.
The crowd craned their necks as the singer walked onto the stage.
- stretch
more general; 'stretch your neck' is clearer but less idiomatic than 'crane your neck'
文法句型
crane one's neck to [verb]
crane forward / around
crane to see/look/watch
用法筆記
The transitive pattern ('crane your neck') is far more common than the intransitive ('crane to see'). The object is almost always a body part — usually 'neck', sometimes 'head'.