Link Centre Dictionary

crutch

UK/ˈkɹʌt͡ʃ/ US/ˈkʰɹʷʌ̹t͡ʃ/ uncommon slang

noun

1.

a wooden or metal staff that fits under the armpit and reaches to the ground; used by disabled person while walking

2.

anything that serves as an expedient

  • “he uses drugs as a psychological crutch”

Origin

From Middle English crucche, from Old English cryċċ (“crutch, staff”), from Proto-West Germanic *krukkju, from Proto-Germanic *krukjō (“crutch, staff”), from Proto-Indo-European *grewg- (“wrinkle, bend”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to turn, bend”). Cognate with Scots curche, crutch (“crutch, stilts”), Dutch kruk (“crutch”), Low German krukke, Krück (“crutch”), German Krücke (“crutch”), Swedish krycka (“crutch”). Latin crucia, crucca, croccia, crocia (“crutch”), and its descendants are ultimately from the Germanic.

Phrases

  • Christ on a crutch
  • could eat the crutch from a low flying duck
  • crutch cross
  • crutch word
  • forearm crutch
  • underarm crutch

Related words

Broader 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.