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Webster 1913 Edition

Cranny

Cran′ny

(krăn′ny̆)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Crannies
(-nĭz)
.
[F.
cran
notch, prob. from L.
crena
(a doubful word).]
1.
A small, narrow opening, fissure, crevice, or chink, as in a wall, or other substance.
In a firm building, the cavities ought not to be filled with rubbish, but with brick or stone fitted to the
crannies
.
Dryden.
He peeped into every
cranny
.
Arbuthnot.
2.
(Glass Making)
A tool for forming the necks of bottles, etc.

Cran′ny

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Crannied
(-n?d)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Crannying
.]
1.
To crack into, or become full of, crannies.
[R.]
The ground did
cranny
everywhere.
Golding.
2.
To haunt, or enter by, crannies.
All tenantless, save to the
crannying
wind.
Byron.

Cran′ny

,
Adj.
[Perh. for
cranky
. See
Crank
,
Adj.
]
Quick; giddy; thoughtless.
[Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.

Webster 1828 Edition

Cranny

CRANNY

,
Noun.
[L., to split; to cut off; to divide; a piece.]
1.
Properly, a rent; but commonly, any small narrow opening, fissure, crevice or chink, as in a wall, or other substance.
In a firm building, the cavities ought to be filled with brick or stone, fitted to the crannies.
2.
A hole; a secret retired place.
He peeped into every cranny.
3.
In glass-making, an iron instrument for forming the necks of glasses.

Definition 2024

cranny

cranny

English

Noun

cranny ‎(plural crannies)

  1. A small, narrow opening, fissure, crevice, or chink, as in a wall, or other substance.
    • Arbuthnot
      He peeped into every cranny.
    • Dryden
      In a firm building, the cavities ought not to be filled with rubbish, but with brick or stone fitted to the crannies.
  2. A tool for forming the necks of bottles, etc.
Translations
Related terms

Verb

cranny ‎(third-person singular simple present crannies, present participle crannying, simple past and past participle crannied)

  1. (intransitive) To break into, or become full of, crannies.
    • Golding
      The ground did cranny everywhere.
  2. (intransitive) To haunt or enter by crannies.
    • Byron
      All tenantless, save to the crannying wind.

Etymology 2

Perhaps for cranky.

Adjective

cranny ‎(comparative more cranny, superlative most cranny)

  1. (Britain, dialect) quick; giddy; thoughtless
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Etymology

From Middle English crany, crani ‎(“cranny”), apparently a diminutive of Middle English *cran (+ -y), from Old French cran, cren ‎(“notch, fissure”), a derivative of Old French crener ‎(“to notch, split”), from Medieval Latin crenō ‎(“split”, verb), from Vulgar Latin *crinō ‎(“split, break”, verb), of obscure origin. Despite a spurious use in Pliny, connection to Latin crēna is doubtful. Instead, probably of Germanic or Celtic origin. Compare Old High German chrinna ‎(“notch, groove, crevice”), Alemannic German Krinne ‎(“small crack, channel, groove”), Low German karn ‎(“notch, groove, crevice, cranny”), Old Irish ara-chrinin ‎(“to perish, decay”).

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -æni

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