clutch1 verbclutch2 noun
clutchclutch1 /klʌtʃ/ ●●○ verb 
Word OriginWORD ORIGINclutch1
Verb TableOrigin:
Old English clyccanVERB TABLE
clutch
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | clutch |
| he, she, it | clutches | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | clutched |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have clutched |
| he, she, it | has clutched | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had clutched |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will clutch |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have clutched |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am clutching |
| he, she, it | is clutching | |
| you, we, they | are clutching | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was clutching |
| you, we, they | were clutching | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been clutching |
| he, she, it | has been clutching | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been clutching |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be clutching |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been clutching |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Joanne clutched her mother's hand.
- A patient found him screaming and clutching the bottle.
- Fong stood in the doorway, his invitation clutched tightly in his hand.
- I had seen them in Kano clutching their swords as they slept in shop doorways where they were employed as night-watchmen.
- She stumbled to her feet, clutching the eiderdown around her, and opened her mouth to call to them.
- That way, you can see if you clutch the lectern or keep your hands too stiffly at your side.
- There was a loud report somewhere outside the house and Lee clutched her pillow.
- We only clutch our rifles more firmly and brace ourselves to receive the shock...
- Yet they come out of there clutching this little key he give them.
THESAURUS► hold
Collocations to have something in your hand, hands, or arms: · Maria came in holding a letter.· Can I hold the baby?
► grip to hold something very tightly and not let it go: · He gripped her arm so she couldn’t walk away.· Jenny gripped the side of the boat to steady herself.
► clutch to hold something tightly, especially because you do not want to drop or lose it: · A businessman hurried past, clutching his briefcase.· The little girl clutched onto his hand.
► clasp written to hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms around them: · She was clasping a bunch of small summer flowers.· He clasped her in his arms and kissed her.
► get/take hold of something to take something in your hand or hands and hold it: · I took hold of the handle and pulled as hard as I could.· Quickly – try and get hold of that frog!
► grasp written to take hold of something firmly, especially in a determined way: · She grasped the lowest branch and pulled herself up into the tree.
► grab to take hold of something suddenly and often violently: · He grabbed my bag and ran off with it.· The other man grabbed hold of (=suddenly took hold of) my arms and threatened me with a knife.
► seize written to take hold of something suddenly and often violently: · A police officer ran after him and seized the gun.
► hang on (to something) to hold on to something or someone tightly to support yourself: · He hung on to the rail at the back of the motorbike.· Hang on tight!
► keep hold of something to continue to hold something: · Greg was struggling to keep hold of the dog.· She tried to take her hand away but he kept hold of it.
Longman Language Activatorto hold something tightly► hold on/hang on to put your hand around something and hold it tightly, in order to stop yourself from falling or from losing what you are holding: · We're coming up to a bumpy bit - you'd better hold on!· Just hang on as best you can and I'll try and get some help.hold/hang on to something: · Mother's not strong. She can't walk without holding on to someone's arm.· People stood hanging on to the overhead straps of the swaying subway car.hold on tight: · As the roller coaster turned upside down I shut my eyes and held on tight.· He inched across the roof, hanging on as best he could.
► grip to hold something tightly, by pressing your fingers very hard against it: · David suddenly gripped my arm and pulled me away from the road.· His knuckles whitened as he gripped the microphone.· She found his hand and gripped it tightly.
► clutch/clasp to hold something tightly, closing your fingers around it: · "Ah!'' he cried, clutching his stomach.· A group of tourists stood clutching their phrase books.· A little girl stood clasping her mother's hand.· Sally ran out of the house, clasping her schoolbooks to her chest.
► cling to to hold on to someone or something very tightly for comfort or support: · The baby monkey clings to its mother's back until it can climb by itself.· Many children will cling to a soft blanket or toy as a substitute for their mother at night.· Rescue workers saved a 9-year-old boy who was clinging to rocks after he was swept into the ocean by the tide.
to start holding something► get/take hold of also get a hold of to take something and hold it in your hand: · I took hold of the handle and pulled as hard as I could.· Sheila fished in her handbag until she got hold of her keys.· The baby got a hold of her beads and broke the string.
► grab to quickly and roughly take something and hold it: · Brown grabbed the phone and started shouting.· She turned to him and grabbed his arm so hard it surprised him.grab hold of something: · The boy grabbed hold of my bag and disappeared quickly into the crowd.grab something from somebody: · According to the report, Mason grabbed the gun from a friend.
► clutch/grasp at also grasp for to take something in your hand, especially when it is very difficult to do this: · I clutched at my mother's arm to keep from falling.· The climber grasped at a small hold just above him.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a clutch bag
Phrases (=a small woman's bag that you hold in one hand)· For the evening all you need is a little clutch bag.
► escape somebody’s clutches (=escape and not be caught be someone)· He managed to escape the men’s clutches and run off.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► tightly· Fong stood in the doorway, his invitation clutched tightly in his hand.
NOUN► arm· I clutch at his arm, and he holds me, and does not let me go when I am upright.· Richard was having a panic attack on Fifth Avenue, clutching a lamppost with arms that bulged like tin drums.· Constance was clutching her arm, and they were almost at the church.· Dove rose beside him with the sobbing boy clutched in his arms.· Wynne-Jones reached out and clutched Tallis's arm.· I had to clutch my arms to my chest to stop myself from opening the door.· Helen clutched Edward's arm as they dodged through the traffic.· I only saved myself from falling by clutching at the arm of the oak settle.
► bag· After all she is clutching her bag like a student would her books.· She clutched her shopping bag and her handbag.· If I actually met Mr Diamond, I would picture him clutching the bag and its contents to his chest.· Polly clutched her bag and cardigan, her mind teeming with questions she was afraid to ask.· The fortunate ones clutch tiny plastic bags of black sand, a pound of which counts as a windfall.
► hand· Her hands clutched the air and each other, groped for some one who was not there.· Once he passed by close to tears, one hand clutching his cape and the other his paper bag.· She reached for his hand, clutched it and dug in her long nails.· Under my right arm and in my right hand I clutch two more.· The nails on the hand clutching the pen were bitten down to the quick - always a sign of savagery.· The cold hand of dread clutched Larsen's guts.· His left hand clutches his belly, for really bad news does feel just like a kick in the belly at first.
► straw· Burrows, now clutching at straws, looked into it and became more and more interested in the actor.· Green ponds should not be a problem now, but come next summer, you may be clutching at straws.· In this context of impending war, Nizan began clutching at straws.· But if that was what Adams wanted, well, he was willing to clutch at any straw.· And as they get ready for the Big One, the title decider, the lads will clutch at every available straw.
► throat· Her father was choking for breath, clutching his throat as he fought for air.· And sure enough, there was Thomas in the reading corner, soundlessly turning blue and clutching at his throat.· Pooley clutched at his throat and gagged violently.· He clutched his throat, gagging on the bone embedded in his gullet.· She dropped to her knees, clutching at her throat, but the wire was probably in too deep already.· Despite two coronary bypasses, he's now strangled with anoxic pain, face grey, clutching his throat.· Constance jerked up in bed clutching her throat in terror.· My difficulty in breathing was such that I clutched my throat.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► clutch at somebody’s heart► be clutching at strawsPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► fall into the hands/clutches of somebody► be clutching/grasping at straws
1[transitive] to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose it SYN grip, grasp: - Green ponds should not be a problem now, but come next summer, you may be clutching at straws.
- Somehow, the plans fell into the hands of an enemy spy.
- And for all that, I have fallen into the hands of the Robemaker, he thought angrily.
- It must never fall into the clutches of a political party again.
- The power to play or not fell into the hands of program director Crocker and his peers around the country.
- Green ponds should not be a problem now, but come next summer, you may be clutching at straws.
She was clutching a bottle of champagne.► see thesaurus at hold2[intransitive, transitive] (also clutch at somebody/something) a)to suddenly take hold of someone or something because you are frightened, in pain, or in danger SYN grab: He clutched at a pillar for support. Tom fell to the ground clutching his stomach. b)clutch at somebody’s heart if something clutches at your heart, you suddenly feel fear or nervousness3be clutching at straws especially British English to be trying everything possible to find a solution or hope in a difficult situation, even though it will probably be unsuccessful: I knew that trying the alternative medicine was just clutching at straws.clutch1 verbclutch2 noun
clutchclutch2 ●○○ noun Word OriginWORD ORIGINclutch2
ExamplesOrigin:
1-2,4 1600-1700 ➔ CLUTCH13 1700-1800 cletch ‘clutch’ (17-19 centuries), from cleck ‘to hatch’ (15-19 centuries), from Old Norse klekjaEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Collocations- A female caged with an impotent male produced clutches at roughly one month intervals.
- At last her clutch on him became less desperate and her shivers less violent.
- Rarely can such a clutch of famous names have faced the stark and unfamiliar spectre of failure on one afternoon.
- Some have more efficient clutches, some have better bale-arm mechanisms; better finishes or smoother gears.
- Soon there would be the little clutch of spectators, the curious children shooed away by the adults, the Press photographers.
- Such noises made Wyatt wonder if Cyril bothered to use the clutch at all or had resolved somehow to do without it.
- The heavy clutch and cumbersome gear change remain the worst feature.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a clutch bag
Phrases (=a small woman's bag that you hold in one hand)· For the evening all you need is a little clutch bag.
► escape somebody’s clutches (=escape and not be caught be someone)· He managed to escape the men’s clutches and run off.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB► escape· Thank heavens she'd escaped his clutches in time.· It gave her a marvellous feeling of having escaped the cold clutches of the north and all her unhappiness there.· That was how she says she escaped the clutches of Massu, Bigeard and Graziani.
► fall· Better that she should suffer his anger and displeasure than that he should fall into the clutches of the lord of Parfois.· Fortunately, she had never fallen into our clutches.· It must never fall into the clutches of a political party again.· That decision led her to fall straight into the clutches of a gang of teenagers.
► let· He let go the clutch, lifted the front wheel and drove at the far bank, sand-spit dead ahead.· She wiped her eyes and let the clutch in.· The man let out the clutch and the car moved off.· He let in the clutch lever and we moved forward.· Coventry let in the clutch and they drove off.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► somebody’s clutches► clutch of somethingPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► fall into the hands/clutches of somebody► be clutching/grasping at straws
1[countable] the pedal that you press with your foot when driving a vehicle in order to change gear, or the part of the vehicle that this controls2somebody’s clutches [plural] the power, influence, or control that someone has: - Sam joined the Navy to escape from his mother's clutches.
- Somehow, the plans fell into the hands of an enemy spy.
- And for all that, I have fallen into the hands of the Robemaker, he thought angrily.
- It must never fall into the clutches of a political party again.
- The power to play or not fell into the hands of program director Crocker and his peers around the country.
- Green ponds should not be a problem now, but come next summer, you may be clutching at straws.
a small boy trying to escape from his mother’s clutchesin somebody’s clutches She’ll have him in her clutches soon enough.3clutch of something a small group of similar things: a clutch of eggs (=the number of eggs laid by a bird at one time) a clutch of young mothers4[singular] a tight hold that someone has on something SYN grip, grasp: I shook myself free of her clutch.