clutch

clutch
I. verb Etymology: Middle English clucchen, from Old English clyccan Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. to grasp or hold with or as if with the hand or claws usually strongly, tightly, or suddenly 2. obsolete clench intransitive verb 1. to seek to grasp and hold <
clutched at her hand
>
2. to operate an automobile clutch Synonyms: see take II. noun Date: 13th century 1. a. the claws or a hand in the act of grasping or seizing firmly b. an often cruel or unrelenting control, power, or possession <
the fell clutch of circumstance — W. E. Henley
>
c. the act of grasping, holding, or restraining 2. a. a coupling used to connect and disconnect a driving and a driven part (as an engine and a transmission) of a mechanism b. a lever (as a pedal) operating such a clutch 3. a tight or critical situation ; pinch <
come through in the clutch
>
4. clutch bag III. adjective Date: 1944 1. made or done in a crucial situation <
a clutch hit
>
2. successful in a crucial situation <
a clutch pitcher
>
IV. noun Etymology: alteration of dialect English cletch hatching, brood Date: 1721 1. a nest of eggs or a brood of chicks 2. group, bunch

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Clutch — Жанры Стоунер рок Хардкор Хард рок Фанк метал Блюз рок Годы 1990 настоящее время …   Википедия

  • Clutch — Clutch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Clutched} (kl[u^]cht); p. pr. & vb. n. {Clutching}.] [OE. clucchen. See {Clutch}, n.] 1. To seize, clasp, or grip with the hand, hands, or claws; often figuratively; as, to clutch power. [1913 Webster] A man may set… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Clutch — (kl[u^]ch; 224), n. [OE. cloche, cloke, claw, Scot. clook, cleuck, also OE. cleche claw, clechen, cleken, to seize; cf. AS. gel[ae]ccan (where ge is a prefix) to seize. Cf. {Latch} a catch.] 1. A gripe or clinching with, or as with, the fingers… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Clutch — en concierto en Minneapolis, 2007 Datos generales Origen Germantown, Maryland …   Wikipedia Español

  • clutch — clutch1 or clutch bag [kluch] vt. [ME clucchen < OE clyccan, to clench (infl. in meaning by ME cloke, a claw) < IE * glek (> CLING) < base * gel : see CLIMB] 1. to grasp, seize, or snatch with a hand or claw 2. to grasp or hold… …   English World dictionary

  • clutch — ‘seize’ [14] and clutch of eggs [18] are separate words, although they may ultimately be related. The verb arose in Middle English as a variant of the now obsolete clitch, which came from Old English clyccan ‘bend, clench’. The modern sense of… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • clutch — clutch·man; de·clutch; un·clutch; clutch; …   English syllables

  • clutch — ‘seize’ [14] and clutch of eggs [18] are separate words, although they may ultimately be related. The verb arose in Middle English as a variant of the now obsolete clitch, which came from Old English clyccan ‘bend, clench’. The modern sense of… …   Word origins

  • Clutch — Clutch, v. i. 1. To reach (at something) as if to grasp; to catch or snatch; often followed by at. [1913 Webster] 2. to become too tense or frightened to perform properly; used sometimes with up; as, he clutched up on the exam. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • clutch — vb grasp, grab, *take, seize, snatch Analogous words: capture, *catch: hold, *have, possess, own clutch n *hold, grip, grasp Analogous words: seizing, grabbing, taking (see TAKE) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • clutch — [n] strong hold clamp, clasp, clench, clinch, connection, coupling, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, link; concept 190 clutch [v] grab, snatch catch, cherish, clasp, clench, clinch, cling to, collar, embrace, fasten, glom*, grapple, grasp, grip,… …   New thesaurus

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