verbWord forms: clems, clemming, clemmed, clams, clamming or clammed
(when tr, usually passive) English dialect
to be hungry or cause to be hungry
Word origin
C16: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch, German klemmen to pinch, cramp; compare Old English beclemman to shut in
clem in American English
(klem)
transitive verb or intransitive verbWord forms: clemmed, clemming
Brit dialect
to starve
Word origin
[1530–40; akin to ME forclemmed (ptp.) pinched with hunger, OE beclemman to fetter]This word is first recorded in the period 1530–40. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: analogy, rigid, saturate, scene, toilet