crank arm
- noun
- /kræŋk ɑrm/
- Specialized
- When installing new pedals, make sure to tighten them securely to the crank arm.
Examples
-
A direct-drive, freewheeling hub joins the crank arm axis with the rear-wheel axis, shortening the wheelbase and minimizing the design.
Blog text (2) -
Another issue is that in this case, you'll need a whole new chainset, because this one is a complete unit, with the chainrings spot welded together and fixed to the crank arm.
Blog text (21) -
It's definitely not the pedal or the crank arm striking anything, though.
Blog text (3) -
You might check to see if, under heavy load, the crank arm is hitting the frame on the chain stay or hitting the front derailleur.
Blog text (3) -
"We'll send people to the different bike shops in the area for tubes, pedals, crank arms, basically anything they need to repair the bike," Lang said.
Blog text (23) -
The mechanic replaced the damaged crank arm to ensure the bicycle's drivetrain would function properly.
-
After adjusting the crank arm, the cyclist noticed a smoother pedaling motion on the uphill climb.
Synonyms
A handle that you turn to make a machine move
A piece you turn by hand to start an engine or make a machine work
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is a straightforward composition of 'crank' (a rotating/hand-operated handle) and 'arm' (an arm-like projection or lever), so the combined meaning — a lever attached to a rotating shaft — is directly derivable from the parts. This part-whole, object-component relation is a common and predictable naming pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
The noun crank arm comes from old machines where a bent bar called a crank acted like an arm that turned to move other parts. On a bike, the piece you push with your foot works the same way, so crank arm means 'the part that connects the pedal to the wheel and turns when you ride'.