Cramp

[A. S. kramma; D. kramp; Dan. krampe; Swed. and Goth. krampe; Fr. crampon; Ger. krampf, allied to grimmen, to gripe, and kripen, to crumple; It. granfo, a contracting or drawing together; Sansk. root grabh, to seize.] Restriction; restraint; limit; obstruc tion. "A narrow fortune is a cramp to a great mind." - L'Estrange. (Building.) A piece of iron bent at the ends, serving to hold together pieces of timber, stones, . (Mech.) A short bar of iron, with its ends bent so as to form three sides of a parallelogram; at one end a set screw is inserted, so that two pieces of metal, being placed between, can be held firmly together by the screw. (Med.) An irregular spasmodic contraction of the muscles of the whole or different parts of the body, causing most severe pain by the knotty and hardened state into which their fibres are contracted. Though C. may involve the greater number of the muscles at once, the parts most generally affected are those of the feet, legs, thighs, abdomen, and arms. The cause sometimes proceeds from the sudden application of cold to the heated body, damp sheets, wet feet, or wet clothes; the irritation produced on the nervous system by the absorption of lead, arsenic, or other mineral poisons, and the exhaustion on long-continued evacuations, as in cholera; from the specific action of some animal virus , as in the bite of venomous reptiles, and in bathing, from coming in contact with cold springs, and a too lengthened stay in the water. In general, C. is readily removed by a forcible exertion of the antagonist muscles, so as to overcome the spasmodic contraction, or by friction and warmth C. of the stomach is to be combated by the -To fix by a cramp; as, to cramp the leg of a boot. -To pain or affect with spasms or cramp. -a. Difficult; knotty; as, a cramp syllogism. Cramp'-fish, n. (Zool.) See TORPEDO. Cramp'-iron, n. ( Mech .) See CRAMP. Cram pit, n. The chape or piece of metal at the bot- tom of a sword; a chape. Crampoons', n.pl. [Fr. crampon .] Sharp-pointed, iron fastenings fixed to the shoes of soldiers, to enable them to keep a foothold when engaged in climbing a glacis preparatory to carrying a fort by a ault. -Large iron hooks resembling double-calipers, used for raising heavy weights, as blocks of stone, . Cramp-ring, n. A ring popularly supposed in olden times to po e the virtue of curing cramp, by reason of its undergoing consecration on Good Friday. Cran'age, n. [L. Lat. cranagium.] Dues paid for the use of a crane at the loading and discharging of ships. -Liberty to use a crane for the above-named purposes. Cranberry, n. [Ger. kranbeere .] ( Bot .) See OXYCOCCUS. Cranberry, in New Jersey, a post-village of Middle- sex co., abt. 40 m. N.E. of Camden. Cranberry, in Ohio , a post-office of Allen co. -A township of Crawford co. Cranberry, in Pennsylvania , a township of Butler county. -v. a. To bridle; to raise one's head loftily; - preceding up; as, the lady craned up her neck with disdain. Crane, in Ohio , a township of Defiance co. -A township of Paulding co. Crane Creek, in Iowa , a village of Howard co. Crane Creek, in Mi ouri , a village of Barry co., abt. 150 m. S. S. W. of Jefferson City. Crane Creek, in S. Carolina , traverses Rich land co., and enters Broad river a few miles above Columbia. Crane-fly, n. ( Zool .) See TIPULA. Crane River, in Arkansas , traverses Arkansas co., and ( Surg .) A pair of pincers terminating in a point, used by surgeons. Crane's Forge, in La . , a former P. O. of A umption par. Crane's Run, in Pennsylvania , a village of Greene co. Crane's Town, in Ohio , a village of Wyandot co., 70 m. N. N. W. of Columbus. Crane's Village, or CRANESVILLE, in New York, a post-village of Montgomery co., 13 m. from Schenectady. Cranes'ville, in N. J. , a former P. O. of Union co. Cranes'ville, in Pennsylvania , a village of Erie co., about 25 m. S. W. of Erie. Cranesville, in Tenne ee , See CRAINSVILLE. Cranesville, in W Virginia , a post-village of Preston co., about 250 m. N. W. of Richmond, Va. Crane ville, in Wisconsin , a village of Marquette co. Cran'ey, in W. Va . , a former P. O. of Wyoming co. Cra'nial, a. Belonging to, or like, a cranium, or skull. Craniognomy, n. [Gr. kranion , and gnomai, to know.] Craniology. Craniological, a. Relating, or pertaining, to cran i- ology. Craniologist, n. One versed in craniology; a phre- nologist. Craniology, n . [Gr. kranion , and logos .] A discourse or treatise on the cranium or skull; PHRENOLOGY, q. v . Craniom'eter, n . [Gr. kranion , and metron .] An in- strument used for measuring the skulls of animals. Craniometrical, a . Belonging to craniometry. Craniom'etry, n. Art or practice of measuring the Cranios'copist, n. One who is versed in cranioscopy Cranios'copy, n. [Gr. kranion , and skopein , to view.] Examination of the cranium; the science which relates to the inspection of skulls. Cra'nium, n. [Gr. kranion, allied to kara , karēnon , the head; Sansk. kyr , the skull; Fr. crâne.] ( Anat .) The skull of an animal; the agglomeration of bones which enclose the brain. - See SKULL. Crank, n. [D. krinkel , a curve, from krinkelen , to bend, to crook. A winding or twisting; anything bent or turned; hence, colloquially, one mentally twisted. IMG:content-0408.png:[blocks in formation] Cranberry Prairie, in Ohio , a P. O. of Mercer co. Cranberry Summit, in W. Virginia , a village of Preston co., 243 m. W. of Baltimore. Cran'brook, a town of England, co. Kent, 13 m. S. of Maid stone; pop . 4,500. Cran'dall, in Ohio , a post-office of Lorain co. Cran'dell Corners, in New York , a post-office of Washington co. Crane, n. [A. S. cornoch, cran; Ger. kranich ; 0. Ger. kranuh ; Gr. geranos; Lat. grus, gruis; W. gar an, a shank, a crane, from gar , a leg.] (Mech.) The name of machines used for raising heavy bodies in a perpendicu- lar direction. They are of various forms, suitable for almost any purpose, and to most of them are adapted two or more wheels with teeth, for the purpose of ob- taining power at the expense of time. The small wheel is turned by a windla , and turns the larger one very slowly, but with great power. The common warehouse or cellar C. is generally an iron frame with two pulleys, which are usually inside the warehouse, while the C. is outside to raise goods from carts, ., into the floors above. C. at the sides of canals or rivers, for landing Crank, n. A rigid arm fixed at one extremity on a shaft perpendicular to its own axis, and receiving at the tive impulse which causes it to revolve in a circle. It is the IMG:content-0409.png:[blocks in formation] or a rigid rod. In building operations, it is used to change the direction of the motion of bell-wires, or other similar works. IMG:content-0410.jpg:[graphic] of religion, . On the acce ion of Mary, he was committed to the Tower, along with Latimer and Ridley. In March, 1554, they were removed to Ox- ford, and confined there in the common Fig . 712.-CRANMER. car do. Latimer and Ridley bore their cruel fate with mag- nanimous courage; but the spirit and principles of C. tempo- rarily gave way under the severity of his suf- ferings. He was in- duced, in the hope of saving his life, to sign no fewer than six recantations; but his enemies were determined to be satisfied by nothing short of his death. On the 21st March, 1556, he suffered martyrdom, as his fellow-reformers had done, opposite Baliol College. His courage returned at the end, and he died protesting his repentance for his unworthy weakne in changing his faith, and showing an unexpected fortitude in the midst of the flames. "C. was at once," says Macaulay, "a di- vine and a courtier," and the attempted combination of the two characters created those inconsistencies which shaded the purity of his life. -An iron brace, used for various purposes. -a. [O. Ger. and D. krank , weak; allied to A. S. crang, dead, and crangan , to submit, to die.] Healthy: spright- ly; lively; brisk. - ( Naut . ) A ship is said to be crank , -A hole; a corner; a secret, retired place. when, by the form of the construction, or by want of a sufficient quantity of ballast or cargo, or by being loaded too much above, it is incapable of carrying sail without being exposed to the danger of oversetting. Crank'-axle, n. (Mech.) The driving axle connected to the piston-rods of a locomotive-engine. goods, are sometimes made with a heavy stone placed to Crank'-bird, n . ( Zool . ) A small species of woodpecker. balance the weight at the end of the C. What is called Cranked, ( krankt , ) a. Having a crank. Cranston, in Rhode Island , a township of Providence co., containing manufactories of cotton goods, prints, machinery, . Cranta'ra, n . [Gael.] See FIERY CROSS. Cra'onne, a town of France, in the dep. of Aisne, 12 m. S.E. of Laon; pop . 1,000. Here, in 1814, Napoleon L. routed the Pru ians. Crap'audine, a. ( Arch .) Applied to a door turning on pivots. ing rod, or, in vibrating engines, to the piston-rod: if the crank has only one arm, the pin projects from the end of it. for mourning purposes. C. is made of raw silk, gummed and twisted on the mill, and woven without cro ing. Crapes are either craped , that is, crisped, or smooth; they are all dyed raw. -v. a. To curl; to form into ringlets or tre es; as, to crape the hair. Crape'-fish, n. Codfish salted and smoke-dried. Crap'nel, n. See GRAPNEL.