I. cramp 1 /kræmp/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: crampe , perhaps from Low German krampe ; ⇨ ↑ cramp 2 ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] a severe pain that you get in part of your body when a muscle becomes too tight, making it difficult for you to move that part of your body:
Several players were suffering from cramp.
muscle cramps
have/get (a) cramp
One of the swimmers got cramp and had to drop out of the race.
⇨ WRITER’S CRAMP
2 . (stomach) cramps [plural] severe pains in the stomach, especially the ones that women get when they ↑ menstruate
II. cramp 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Partly from ⇨ ↑ cramp 1 ; partly from cramp 'tool for holding things together' (14-21 centuries) , from Low German krampe 'hook' ]
1 . [transitive] to prevent the development of someone or something SYN hinder , restrict :
Stricter anti-pollution laws may cramp economic growth.
2 . cramp sb’s style informal to prevent someone from behaving in the way they want to:
Paul said he didn’t want Sarah to come along because she cramps his style.
3 . [intransitive and transitive] ( also cramp up ) to get or cause cramp in a muscle:
He cramped in the last 200 metres of the race.
Sitting still for so long had cramped her muscles.