What does "cranny" mean?
A small, narrow opening, fissure, crevice, or chink, as in a wall, or other substance.
Cranny
/ˈkɹæni/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small, narrow opening, fissure, crevice, or chink, as in a wall, or other substance.
- Grammar: cranny is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: crack, crevice, abysm, abyss.
- Useful contrasts: exposed area, open space, solid surface.
- Usage evidence: Tom searched every nook and cranny of the house looking for his wallet.
How to use "cranny"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cranny" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cranny" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cranny" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cranny" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cranny" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "crack" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cranny", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 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"
- 2 A clerk writing English. India, obsolete
- 3 a small opening or crevice (especially in a rock face or wall) wordnet
- 4 A tool for forming the necks of bottles, etc.
- 5 A member of the East Indians, or mixed-race people, from among whom English copyists were chiefly recruited. India, obsolete
Show 1 more definition
- 6 a long narrow depression in a surface wordnet
Verb
- 1 To break into, or become full of, crannies. intransitive
"The ground did cranie everie where and light did pierce to hell."
- 2 To haunt or enter by crannies. intransitive
"All tenantless, save to the crannying wind."
Antonyms
exposed areaopen spacesolid surfacesolid wall
Example
"Tom searched every nook and cranny of the house looking for his wallet."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cranny"?
Common synonyms include: crack, crevice, abysm, abyss, alcove, aperture.
How do you use "cranny" in a sentence?
Tom searched every nook and cranny of the house looking for his wallet.
How do you pronounce "cranny"?
Pronounced /ˈkɹæni/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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. 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”).
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Hindustani किरानी (kirānī) / کِرانِی (kirānī).