Clamber

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈklæmbə/

Definitions

1. To climb or move with difficulty using hands and feet, often in an awkward or ungainly manner
2. To ascend a challenging or rugged surface by using both hands and feet in a clumsy or difficult manner
3. To move upward or across a surface with effort, employing both hands and feet, often resulting in an awkward or ungainly motion

Etymology: The verb "clamber" is tied to a sound-alike cluster of words that sound like they describe grabbing and gripping. Middle English "clambren" and "clameren" meant "to climb" but also "to crawl" or "creep," a sense that hints at the awkward, hands-and-knees scramble the word still conveys. Its ancestry is uncertain: one possibility is that it grew from the past tense "clamb" of an older verb "climben," which was pressed into shape by the Old English "clæmman," meaning "to press." The other possibility traces it back to an Old English form that developed from a Proto-Germanic root. What is clear is the family resemblance across the Germanic languages. Low German has "klemmern" and "klempern," both meaning "to climb," while Scots has "clammer," essentially the same word with the same sense. Danish "klamre" and Icelandic "klambra" and "klembra" point the other way, toward clinging and gripping, with Icelandic also using the word for pinching or clamping things tight. Together these suggest that the idea of gripping and pulling oneself upward has been part of this word's core since the start.

Synonyms: scramble, climb, scale, ascend, vault

Antonyms: descend, fall