cranny

Meaning

Noun

1. A small, narrow opening, fissure, crevice, or chink, as in a wall, or other substance.
2. A tool for forming the necks of bottles, etc.

Verb

1. To break into, or become full of, crannies.
2. To haunt or enter by crannies.

Synonyms

crack

crevice

nook

slot

fissure

niche

corner

opening

hole

🕳️

split

chink

chap

rift

gap

nest

nick

placket

recess

rent

rut

slit

space

vista

Chink

space character

loophole

blank

burrow

cavity

chip

cleft

dent

dimple

hollow

interstice

lacuna

lacunae

aperture

mouth

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɹæni/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: crany

Cognate with Latin: crēna

Cognate with Old High German: chrinna

Cognate with Swiss German: Krinne

Cognate with Low German: karn

Cognate with Old Irish: ara-chrinin

In summary

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”).