Link Centre Dictionary

cramp

UK/kɹæmp/ US/ˈkræmp/ fairly common
noun (3) verb (2)

noun

1.
2.

a clamp for holding pieces of wood together while they are glued

3.

a strip of metal with ends bent at right angles; used to hold masonry together

Synonyms

verb

1.

secure with a cramp

  • “cramp the wood”
2.

prevent the progress or free movement of

  • “He was hampered in his efforts by the bad weather”
  • “the imperialist nation wanted to strangle the free trade between the two small countries”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English crampe, from Old French crampe (“cramp”), from Frankish *krampa (“cramp”), from Proto-West Germanic *krampu, from Proto-Germanic *krampō (“cramp, clasp”).

Phrases

  • bather's cramp
  • brain cramp
  • cramp ball
  • cramp bone
  • cramp fasciculation syndrome
  • cramp iron
  • cramp ring
  • cramp someone's style
  • cramp up
  • menstrual cramp

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.