Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: cranc

crank

1 noun
     
Related topics: Daily Life, Technology
crank1 [countable]
1DT a handle on a piece of equipment, that you can turn in order to move something
2 informal someone who has unusual ideas and behaves strangely:
Zoff was originally dismissed as a crank, but his theories later became very influential.
3

crank call/letter

a telephone call or letter in which someone says annoying things
4 American English informal someone who easily gets angry or annoyed with people
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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