°A bent piece of an axle, or shaft, or an arm attached at right angles to the end of a shaft or wheel, used to impart a circular action to a wheel or other mechanical device and create power; also used to change circular into reciprocating motion, or reciprocating into circular motion.
"Use the crank on the motorcycle and go for a ride."
°The act of converting power into motion, by turning a crankshaft.
"Yes, a crank was all it needed to start."
verb
°To turn a crank.
°To cause to spin via other means, as though turned by a crank.
" I turn the key and crank the engine; yet it doesn't turn over"