~ 1
■ verb grasp tightly.
↘( ~ at ) seize eagerly or in desperation: he ~ed at the idea.
■ noun
1》 a tight grasp.
2》 ( ~es ) power or control: she was about to fall into his ~es.
3》 a mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the engine and the transmission system in a vehicle, or the working parts of any machine.
4》 N. Amer. a ~ bag.
Origin
ME (in the sense 'bend, crook'): var. of obs. clitch 'close the hand', from OE clyccan 'crook, clench', of Gmc origin.
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~ 2
■ noun
1》 a group of eggs fertilized at the same time, laid in a single session and (in birds) incubated together.
↘a brood of chicks.
2》 a small group of people or things.
Origin
C18: prob. a southern var. of north. Engl. dialect cletch , related to ME cleck 'to hatch', from ON klekja .