The sound made by a crake bird; or the action of making harsh, rasping sounds.
From 'crake' (the bird) with the present participle suffix '-ing,' describing the continuous action of the bird's calling. Onomatopoetic in origin.
Medieval monks recorded the 'craking' of birds in their manuscripts—it was like an early field guide to wildlife sounds!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.