"Crank" is a slang term for someone infected with the Flare virus. "The Gone" is another term used for a stage of viral progression in those infected, when a person is past humanity and has lost what sanity they had.
In the film series, Cranks are depicted as zombie-like creatures with strange vine-like growths protruding from their bodies. The book series clearly defines the differences between Cranks and regular zombies, however, as Cranks remain alive and somewhat have the ability to speak.