/ 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.
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IDIOMS
see straw ➡ note at hold
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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
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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 .