clutch

clutch¹ (kl

ch)

v. clutched, clutch·ing, clutch·es

v.tr.

1. To grasp and hold tightly.

2. To seize; snatch.

v.intr.

1. To attempt to grasp or seize: clutch at a life raft.

2. To engage or disengage a motor vehicle's clutch.

3. To fail in a critical situation, especially out of nervousness or fear.

1. A hand, claw, talon, or paw in the act of grasping.

2. A tight grasp.

3. Control or power. Often used in the plural: caught in the clutches of sin.

4. A device for gripping and holding.

a. Any of various devices for engaging and disengaging two working parts of a shaft or of a shaft and a driving mechanism.

b. The apparatus, such as a lever or pedal, that activates one of these devices.

6. A tense, critical situation: came through in the clutch.

7. A clutch bag.

adj. Informal

1. Being or occurring in a tense or critical situation: won the championship by sinking a clutch putt.

2. Tending to be successful in tense or critical situations: The coach relied on her clutch pitcher.

[Middle English clucchen, from Old English clyccan.]

clutch ¹

Verb

1. to seize with or as if with hands or claws

2. to grasp or hold firmly

3. clutch at to attempt to get hold or possession of

Noun

1. a device that enables two revolving shafts to be joined or disconnected, esp. one that transmits the drive from the engine to the gearbox in a vehicle

2. the pedal which operates the clutch in a car

3. a firm grasp

4. clutches

a. hands or claws in the act of clutching: his free kick escaped the clutches of the rival goalkeeper

b. power or control: rescued from the clutches of the Gestapo [Old English clyccan]

clutch ²

Noun

1. a set of eggs laid at the same time

2. a group, bunch, or cluster: a clutch of gloomy economic reports [Old Norse klekja to hatch]

Clutch a nest of eggs or brood of young. See also brood, cletch, family.

Examples: clutch of chicken; constables [modern]; eggs, 1721; geese, 1885; partridges; squalls, 1825; tempests, 1825.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	clutch - the act of grasping; "he released his clasp on my arm"; "he has a strong grip for an old man"; "she kept a firm hold on the railing" clutches, grip, hold, clasp, clench, grasp choke hold, chokehold - a restraining hold; someone loops the arm around the neck of another person in a tight grip, usually from behind; "he grabbed the woman in a chokehold, demanded her cash and jewelry, and then fled" embrace, embracement, embracing - the act of clasping another person in the arms (as in greeting or affection) prehension, taking hold, grasping, seizing - the act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles) wrestling hold - a hold used in the sport of wrestling
	2.	clutch - a tense critical situation; "he is a good man in the clutch" temporary state - a state that continues for a limited time
	3.	clutch - a number of birds hatched at the same time brood - the young of an animal cared for at one time
	4.	clutch - a collection of things or persons to be handled together batch aggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage - several things grouped together or considered as a whole schmear, schmeer, shmear - (Yiddish) a batch of things that go together; "he bought the whole schmeer"
	5.	clutch - a woman's strapless purse that is carried in the hand clutch bag handbag, purse, bag, pocketbook - a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women); "she reached into her bag and found a comb"
	6.	clutch - a pedal or lever that engages or disengages a rotating shaft and a driving mechanism; "he smoothely released the clutch with one foot and stepped on the gas with the other" clutch pedal clutch - a coupling that connects or disconnects driving and driven parts of a driving mechanism; "this year's model has an improved clutch" foot lever, foot pedal, treadle, pedal - a lever that is operated with the foot
	7.	clutch - a coupling that connects or disconnects driving and driven parts of a driving mechanism; "this year's model has an improved clutch" clutch pedal, clutch - a pedal or lever that engages or disengages a rotating shaft and a driving mechanism; "he smoothely released the clutch with one foot and stepped on the gas with the other" coupler, coupling - a mechanical device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent objects freewheel - a clutch (as on the rear wheel of a bicycle) that allows wheels to turn freely (as in coasting) friction clutch - a clutch in which one part turns the other by the friction between them transmission system, transmission - the gears that transmit power from an automobile engine via the driveshaft to the live axle
Verb	1.	clutch - take hold of; grab; "The sales clerk quickly seized the money on the counter"; "She clutched her purse"; "The mother seized her child by the arm"; "Birds of prey often seize small mammals" prehend, seize nab - seize suddenly rack - seize together, as of parallel ropes of a tackle in order to prevent running through the block claw - clutch as if in panic; "She clawed the doorknob" get hold of, take - get into one's hands, take physically; "Take a cookie!"; "Can you take this bag, please" arrest, collar, cop, nab, nail, apprehend, pick up - take into custody; "the police nabbed the suspected criminals" capture, catch, get - succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase; "We finally got the suspect"; "Did you catch the thief?" collar - seize by the neck or collar clasp - grasp firmly; "The child clasped my hands" grip - hold fast or firmly; "He gripped the steering wheel" grab - take or grasp suddenly; "She grabbed the child's hand and ran out of the room" grab, take hold of, catch - take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of; "Catch the ball!"; "Grab the elevator door!" snatch, snatch up, snap - to grasp hastily or eagerly; "Before I could stop him the dog snatched the ham bone" clench, clinch - hold in a tight grasp; "clench a steering wheel" grapple, grip - to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match; "the two men grappled with each other for several minutes"
	2.	clutch - hold firmly, usually with one's hands; "She clutched my arm when she got scared" cling to, hold close, hold tight hold, take hold - have or hold in one's hands or grip; "Hold this bowl for a moment, please"; "A crazy idea took hold of him" cuddle, draw close, nestle, nuzzle, snuggle, nest - move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position; "We cuddled against each other to keep warm"; "The children snuggled into their sleeping bags"
	3.	clutch - affect; "Fear seized the prisoners"; "The patient was seized with unbearable pains"; "He was seized with a dreadful disease" get hold of, seize overwhelm, sweep over, whelm, overpower, overtake, overcome - overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli