From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcranecrane1 /kreɪn/ ●●○ noun [countable] 1 
TBCa large tall machine used by builders for lifting heavy things → hoist2 HBBa tall water bird with very long legs
TBCa large tall machine used by builders for lifting heavy things → hoist2 HBBa tall water bird with very long legsExamples from the Corpus
crane• Llangollen Railway staff at work re-railing the breakdown crane and repairing the Permanent Way following the derailment at Glyndyfrdwy.• The Bidston Dock cranes have been a Birkenhead landmark for many years.• Lane blocked: Rush hour traffic in east Middlesbrough was blocked yesterday due to a broken down crane.• A heron or crane had been made out of solid bronze by an artist commissioned by the cultural society.• A little way off, under the clouds, I could see cranes moving.• When the end of the column was over the steel baseplate, the crane operator lowered it slowly into position.cranecrane2 verb [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] LOOK ATto look around or over something by stretching or leaningcrane forward/over etc The children craned forward to see what was happening. He craned his neck above the crowd to get a better view.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
crane• The steel support beam had to be craned in; the crew was waiting for the crane.• On the second floor of London's Dorchester Hotel, people crane like meerkats for a better view.• They had been craning over the gallery, safe out of reach, so free to stare.• Most of the young, rather shabbily dressed people in the pub shouted over it or craned their heads closer to hear.• Sandal-shod farmers stand quietly in the golden evening light or crane their necks for a look at the speakers.• Others thus jammed beside her were shouting questions to those before them, and craning to peer over their heads.crane forward/over etc• His pulse quickened as he craned forward for a better view.• Idi craned over her, like a boy biting an apple.• A buzz of wordless terror went up from the men around him as they craned over his shoulder to look.• He craned over the balcony again, but finally he seemed to sigh.• They had been craning over the gallery, safe out of reach, so free to stare.• I draw parallel with the door and crane forward to see into the room.• Mungo craned forward, turning the side of his face to the rain.From Longman Business Dictionarycranecrane /kreɪn/ noun [countable] a large tall machine that lifts things and moves them from one place to another, used especially on building sites and for unloading shipsOrigin crane1 Old English cran the bird 