Adjutant \Ad"ju*tant\, n. [L. adjutans, p. pr. of adjutare to
   help. See Aid.]
   1. A helper; an assistant.
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   2. (Mil.) A regimental staff officer, who assists the
      colonel, or commanding officer of a garrison or regiment,
      in the details of regimental and garrison duty.
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   Adjutant general
      (a) (Mil.), the principal staff officer of an army,
          through whom the commanding general receives
          communications and issues military orders. In the U.
          S. army he is brigadier general.
      (b) (Among the Jesuits), one of a select number of
          fathers, who resided with the general of the order,
          each of whom had a province or country assigned to his
          care.
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   3. (Zool.) A species of very large stork (Ciconia argala),
      a native of India; -- called also the gigantic crane,
      and by the native name argala. It is noted for its
      serpent-destroying habits.
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Crane \Crane\ (kr[=a]n), n. [AS. cran; akin to D. & LG. craan,
   G. kranich, krahn (this in sense 2), Gr. ge`ranos, L. grus,
   W. & Armor. garan, OSlav. zerav[i^], Lith. gerve, Icel.
   trani, Sw. trana, Dan. trane. [root]24. Cf. Geranium.]
   1. (Zool.) A wading bird of the genus Grus, and allied
      genera, of various species, having a long, straight bill,
      and long legs and neck.
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   Note: The common European crane is Grus cinerea. The
         sand-hill crane (Grus Mexicana) and the whooping
         crane (Grus Americana) are large American species.
         The Balearic or crowned crane is Balearica pavonina.
         The name is sometimes erroneously applied to the herons
         and cormorants.
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   2. Any arm which swings about a vertical axis at one end,
      used for supporting a suspended weight.
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   3. A machine for raising and lowering heavy weights, and,
      while holding them suspended, transporting them through a
      limited lateral distance. In one form it consists of a
      projecting arm or jib of timber or iron, a rotating post
      or base, and the necessary tackle, windlass, etc.; -- so
      called from a fancied similarity between its arm and the
      neck of a crane See Illust. of Derrick.
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   4. An iron arm with horizontal motion, attached to the side
      or back of a fireplace, for supporting kettles, etc., over
      a fire.
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   5. A siphon, or bent pipe, for drawing liquors out of a cask.
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   6. (Naut.) A forked post or projecting bracket to support
      spars, etc., -- generally used in pairs. See Crotch, 2.
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   7. (Zool.) The American blue heron (Ardea herodias).
      [Local, U. S.]
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   Crane fly (Zool.), a dipterous insect with long legs, of
      the genus Tipula.

   Derrick crane. See Derrick.

   Gigantic crane. (Zool.) See Adjutant, n., 3.

   Traveling crane, Traveler crane, Traversing crane
      (Mach.), a crane mounted on wheels; esp., an overhead
      crane consisting of a crab or other hoisting apparatus
      traveling on rails or beams fixed overhead, as in a
      machine shop or foundry.

   Water crane, a kind of hydrant with a long swinging spout,
      for filling locomotive tenders, water carts, etc., with
      water.
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