1. a person or thing that cranks; a device or mechanism that operates by turning a crank handle
Usage: often used in compound forms (e.g., hand-cranker, ice-cream cranker)
2. a person who holds unconventional or obsessive beliefs; an eccentric or obsessive enthusiast
Usage: informal; often used in compound forms (e.g., conspiracy cranker)

Examples

• The old ice-cream cranker required manual effort to churn the mixture.
• She used a hand-cranker to grind the coffee beans.
• He was known as a conspiracy cranker who questioned everything.
• The music box cranker turned slowly to produce the melody.
• That cranker at the town meeting spent an hour on his pet theory.