Clutch

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /klʌt͡ʃ/

Definitions

1. To seize or hold something firmly with one’s hand ; a mechanism in machines that connects and disconnects the power from the engine to the wheels ; a set of eggs laid by a bird at one time
2. To grasp something tightly or suddenly, often out of urgency or fear ; a device in vehicles that controls power flow between engine and transmission ; an entire batch of eggs produced simultaneously by a bird
3. To grab or grasp closely, usually with strength or urgency ; a mechanical component that engages and disengages drive power in machinery ; a collection of eggs laid together by an animal during a single reproductive period

Etymology: Old English "clyċċan" meant "to clutch or clench," and its ancestors were built around the idea of a ball or lump. The Proto-Germanic root "klu-" meant "to ball up" or "to amass," so the grip was imagined as a fist closing into a knot. A related Swedish word, "klyka," means a clamp, fork or branch, which keeps that sense of things gathered together. The noun is a different story. Middle English "cleche" meant "claw, talon, or hand," and it is of uncertain origin. Its Scots relatives, "cleuk" and "cluke," also meant claw or talon. The noun's form was probably pulled toward the verb over time, so the two now look like a matched pair even though their paths were not identical. Some scholars instead connect the verb to a Proto-Germanic word for "claw" or "hand," which would link it to the Irish "glac," meaning hand. Both explanations remain possible, so the grip may have started as a fist that gathers or as a hand that snatches.

Synonyms: grasp, grip, hold, seize, clench

Antonyms: release, let go, drop