What does "crankshaft" mean?

A rotating shaft with throws (parts that stick out) and which drives, is driven by (cranked by), or functions as a crank.

What is a synonym for "crankshaft"?

Common synonyms include: accelerator, auto, automobile, conrod, crankcase, engine.

noun, verb

noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A rotating shaft with throws (parts that stick out) and which drives, is driven by (cranked by), or functions as a crank.
2
a rotating shaft driven by (or driving) a crank wordnet

Verb

1
To deform in such a manner that part of the rod or bolt is displaced sideways, offset from the longitudinal axis of the part, but remains parallel with the part's main longitudinal axis, with the final shape somewhat resembling a crankshaft.
"The attachment of the inboard end of the gear beam was damaged but remained intact; the drag strut fuse pin had 'crankshafted' in a direction indicating that a load had been applied in tension but this had also remained intact."

"As I turned the handle of the crankshaft, the old tractor sputtered to life."

From crank + shaft.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.