Meaning of clutch in English

Table of contents

Verb
clutch
Etymology
Middle English (in the sense ‘bend, crook’): variant of obsolete clitch ‘close the hand’, from Old Englishclyccan ‘crook, clench’, of Germanic origin
Definitions
1. take hold of
Examples
- « grab »
- « The salesclerk quickly seized the money on the counter »
- « She clutched her purse »
- « The mother seized her child by the arm »
- « Birds of prey often seize small mammals »
Derived terms
2. hold firmly, usually with one's hands
Examples
- « She clutched my arm when she got scared »
Derived terms
3. affect
Examples
- « Fear seized the prisoners »
- « The patient was seized with unberable pains »
- « He was seized with a dreadful disease »
Noun
clutch
Etymology
early 18th century: probably a southern variant of northern English dialect cletch, related to Middle Englishcleck ‘to hatch’, from Old Norse klekja
Definitions
1. the act of grasping
Examples
- « he released his clasp on my arm »
- « he has a strong grip for an old man »
- « she kept a firm hold on the railing »
Derived terms
2. a tense critical situation
Examples
- « he is a good man in the clutch »
Derived terms
- get hold of
- seize
3. a number of birds hatched at the same time
4. a collection of things or persons to be handled together
Derived terms
- batch
5. a pedal that operates a clutch
6. a coupling that connects or disconnects driving and driven parts of a driving mechanism

Famous quotes

« The same things we've done the past couple of seasons. We've worked on the engine and clutch. We'll try and pick up the performance and consistency of the car and go back out there. »
Larry Dixon
« The fear of burglars is not only the fear of being robbed, but also the fear of a sudden and unexpected clutch out of the darkness. »
Elias Canetti
« One of my biggest problems this season was with the clutch at the start of the race. I hate to risk the car. »
Alain Prost