clutch
clutch Lexical Profile
clutch Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A mechanical device in a motor vehicle or machine that engages and disengages power transmission, or the foot pedal that operates it.
"Press down on the clutch smoothly before shifting the transmission into second gear."
A tight, firm grasp or hold, or a state of cruel or inescapable control (often used in the plural).
"The protagonist narrowly escaped from the clutches of the villain."
A small, flat, strapless handbag designed to be held in the hand or carried under the arm.
"She carried a silver sequined clutch to match her evening gown at the gala."
A group of eggs laid at one time by a bird, reptile, or amphibian, or the brood of young hatched from them.
"The female sea turtle buried a clutch of over a hundred eggs in the warm sand."
A small, closely gathered group of people or things.
"A small clutch of reporters waited patiently outside the courthouse for the verdict."
• verb
To grasp, hold, or seize something tightly or eagerly with the hands or claws.
"The nervous passenger clutched the armrests as the airplane encountered turbulence."
To reach or snatch desperately at something in an attempt to seize or hold it (usually followed by 'at').
"The slipping climber clutched at a rocky ledge to stop his fall."
• adjective
North American Performing or occurring effectively under high pressure or at a critical, decisive moment, especially in sports.
"She made a clutch free throw in the final seconds of the game to secure the championship."
• Rhymes for clutch
Word Origin & Etymology
The verb and grasping noun sense derive from Old English 'clyccan' (to curl or clench), while the biological sense of a brood of eggs stems from a separate Old Norse root, 'klekja' (to hatch).