cranny
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
cranny¹
- /ˈkɹæni/
Rhymes with -æni
Where it comes from
From Middle English crany, crani (“cranny”), apparently a diminutive of *cran (+ -y), from Old French cran, cren (“notch, fissure”), a derivative of crener (“to notch, split”), from Medieval Latin crenō (“split”, verb), from Vulgar Latin *crinō (“split, break”, verb), of obscure origin; according to Watkins, of Gaulish origin, from Proto-Celtic *krīnos (“decayed, withered”).
Despite a spurious use in Pliny, connection to Latin crēna (“notch, incision”) 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”).
noun crannies
- A small, narrow opening, fissure, crevice, or chink, as in a wall, or other substance. Down thro the Cranies of the living Walls / The Crystal Streams descend in murm'ring Falls
- A tool for forming the necks of bottles, etc.
verb crannies · crannying · crannied
- To break into, or become full of, crannies. The ground did cranie everie where and light did pierce to hell.
- To haunt or enter by crannies. All tenantless, save to the crannying wind.
cranny²
- /ˈkɹæni/
Rhymes with -æni
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Hindustani किरानी (kirānī) / کِرانِی (kirānī).
noun crannies
- A clerk writing English.
- A member of the East Indians, or mixed-race people, from among whom English copyists were chiefly recruited.
