cramp
cramp Lexical Profile
cramp Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A painful, involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles, typically caused by fatigue, strain, or dehydration.
"The marathon runner had to stop at the ten-mile mark to stretch out a severe cramp in his calf."
Severe abdominal pain associated with menstruation or gastrointestinal distress (usually used in the plural).
"She applied a warm heating pad to her lower abdomen to help soothe the painful cramps."
A metal bar with bent ends or an adjustable frame tool used for holding masonry, timber, or other materials tightly together.
"The carpenter secured the glued wooden panels with a heavy iron cramp until the adhesive dried."
• verb
To suffer from or cause a sudden, painful, involuntary muscular contraction.
"His fingers began to cramp after typing continuously for four hours without a break."
To restrict, confine, or inhibit the free movement, progress, or development of someone or something.
"Tight budget constraints threatened to cramp the research team's ambitious plans for the new laboratory."
To fasten or hold objects tightly together with a metal clamp.
"The stonemasons used iron bars to cramp the heavy limestone blocks together."
• adjective
Restricted in space, narrow, or small and difficult to read (especially of handwriting).
"The antiquarian spent hours deciphering the cramp script in the margins of the medieval manuscript."
• Rhymes for cramp
Word Origin & Etymology
Entered Middle English from Old French crampe, which is of Germanic origin and closely related to Old English crammian ('to cram' or 'press together') and Middle Low German krampe ('hook' or 'clasp').