CLUTCH


Meaning of CLUTCH in English

/ klʌtʃ; NAmE / verb , noun

■ verb

1.

to hold sb/sth tightly

SYN grip :

[ vn ]

He clutched the child to him.

She stood there, the flowers still clutched in her hand.

[ v + adv. / prep. ]

I clutched on to the chair for support

➡ note at hold

2.

clutch (at) sb/sth to take hold of sth suddenly, because you are afraid or in pain :

[ vn ]

He gasped and clutched his stomach.

( figurative ) [ v ]

Fear clutched at her heart.

IDIOMS

see straw ➡ note at hold

PHRASAL VERBS

- clutch / catch at sth/sb

SYN grab at

■ noun

1.

[ C ] the pedal in a car or other vehicle that you press with your foot so that you can change gear :

Put your foot on the clutch.

—picture at car

2.

[ C ] a device in a machine that connects and disconnects working parts, especially the engine and the gears :

The car needs a new clutch.

3.

a ~ of sth [ sing. ] ( BrE ) a group of people, animals or things :

He's won a whole clutch of awards.

4.

clutches [ pl. ] ( informal ) power or control :

He managed to escape from their clutches .

Now that she had him in her clutches , she wasn't going to let go.

5.

[ C , usually sing. ] a tight hold on sb/sth

SYN grip : ( figurative )

She felt the sudden clutch of fear.

6.

[ C ] a group of eggs that a bird lays at one time; the young birds that come out of a group of eggs at the same time

7.

[ C ] ( NAmE ) = clutch bag

••

WORD ORIGIN

noun senses 1 to 2 and noun senses 4 to 5 noun sense 7 and verb Middle English (in the sense bend, crook ): variant of obsolete clitch close the hand , from Old English clyccan crook, clench , of Germanic origin.

noun sense 3 and noun sense 6 early 18th cent.: probably a southern variant of northern English dialect cletch , related to Middle English cleck to hatch , from Old Norse klekja .

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.