clutch

clutch
clutch1 [klʌtʃ] v
[: Old English; Origin: clyccan]
1.) [T]
to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose it
= ↑grip, grasp ↑grasp
▪ She was clutching a bottle of champagne.
2.) [I and T] also clutch at sb/sth
a) to suddenly take hold of someone or something because you are frightened, in pain or in danger
= ↑grab
▪ He clutched at a pillar for support.
▪ Tom fell to the ground clutching his stomach.
b) clutch at sb's heart
if something clutches at your heart, you suddenly feel fear or nervousness
3.) be clutching at straws
especially BrE to be trying everything possible to find a solution or hope in a difficult situation, even though it will probably be unsuccessful
▪ I knew that trying the alternative medicine was just clutching at straws.
clutch 2
clutch2 n
[Sense: 1-2,4; Date: 1600-1700; Origin: CLUTCH1]
[Sense: 3; Date: 1700-1800; Origin: cletch 'clutch' (17-19 centuries), from cleck 'to hatch' (15-19 centuries), from Old Norse klekja]
1.)
the ↑pedal that you press with your foot when driving a vehicle in order to change ↑gear,or the part of the vehicle that this controls
2.) sb's clutches [plural]
the power, influence, or control that someone has
▪ a small boy trying to escape from his mother's clutches
in sb's clutches
▪ She'll have him in her clutches soon enough.
3.) clutch of sth
a small group of similar things
▪ a clutch of eggs (=the number of eggs laid by a bird at one time)
▪ a clutch of young mothers
4.) [singular]
a tight hold that someone has on something
= ↑grip, grasp ↑grasp
▪ I shook myself free of her clutch.

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР
Synonyms:
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


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

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”