A mechanical device used to wind or cock a crossbow, consisting of pulleys and levers to help draw back the bowstring with greater force.
From Old French 'cranequine,' possibly from 'crane' (referring to a crane-like mechanism). Used in medieval military contexts, the term describes specialized crossbow equipment that made powerful weapons more practical.
Medieval soldiers called this device a 'crannequin' because it worked like a crane lifting heavy loads—except instead of cargo, it was pulling back the most powerful weapons of the medieval battlefield with mechanical advantage!
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