I. clamp 1 /klæmp/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . [always + adverb/preposition] to put or hold something in a position so that it cannot move:
She clamped her hands over her ears.
Creed opened his mouth to speak, then clamped it shut.
2 . clamp sanctions/restrictions etc on somebody to put limits on what someone is allowed to do:
The President clamped sanctions on the island after the bomb attack.
3 . [always + adverb/preposition] to hold two things together using a clamp:
Clamp the two parts together until the glue dries.
4 . [usually passive] ( also wheel-clamp ) British English to put a clamp on the wheel of a car so that the car cannot be driven away. This is usually done because the car is illegally parked SYN boot American English :
He returned, only to discover his car had been clamped.
clamp down phrasal verb
to take firm action to stop a particular type of crime ⇨ clampdown
clamp down on
The police are clamping down on drink-driving offenders.
II. clamp 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: Probably from an unrecorded Middle Dutch klampe ]
1 . a piece of equipment for holding things together
2 . ( also wheel clamp ) British English a metal object that is fastened to the wheel of a car so that the car cannot be driven away. This is usually done because the car is illegally parked SYN boot American English
III. ˈwheel clamp BrE AmE ( also clamp ) noun [countable]
a metal object that is fastened to the wheel of an illegally parked car so that it cannot be driven away SYN denver boot American English
—wheel-clamp verb [transitive]