Any of a wide number of hard plastic or wooden lures that dive when retrieved (cranked with a reel) through the water. Crank or cranks are slang terms for these baits.
Typically, a lipped lure that dives under the surface during the retrieve. So-called lipless crankbaits are thin, minnow-like lures that sink at a rate of about 1-foot per second.
a crankbait is a plastic or wooden lure with a diving bill, that dives downward when retrieved that catches fish while you are reeling (cranking) it in.
a hard plastic or wooden lure that dives when retrieved.