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Clench
//klɛnt͡ʃ// noun, verb
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A tight grip. ambitransitive
- 2 the act of grasping wordnet
- 3 Alternative form of clinch (“the act of bending and hammering the point of a nail so it cannot be removed”). alt-of, alternative, ambitransitive
- 4 a small slip noose made with seizing wordnet
- 5 A seal that is applied to formed thin-wall bushings. ambitransitive
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- 6 A local chapter of the Church of the SubGenius parody religion. ambitransitive
"And perhaps most innovative of all, Drummond and Stang pushed for a policy of clench autonomy […]"
- 7 A pun. ambitransitive, obsolete
"Here one poor word an hundred clenches makes"
Verb
- 1 To grip or hold fast. ambitransitive
"I clenched the rope in my teeth."
- 2 squeeze together tightly wordnet
- 3 To close tightly. ambitransitive
"He clenched his fist in anger."
- 4 hold in a tight grasp wordnet
- 5 Alternative form of clinch (“bend and hammer a nail”). alt-of, alternative, ambitransitive
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- 6 Dated form of clinch (“make certain, finalize”). alt-of, ambitransitive, dated
"to clench an argument"
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English clenchen, from Old English clenċan (“to clinch; hold fast”), a variant of Old English clenġan (“to adhere; remain”), from Proto-Germanic *klangijaną, causative of *klinganą (“to stick; adhere”). Related to cling.
Etymology 2
From Middle English clenchen, from Old English clenċan (“to clinch; hold fast”), a variant of Old English clenġan (“to adhere; remain”), from Proto-Germanic *klangijaną, causative of *klinganą (“to stick; adhere”). Related to cling.
See also for "clench"
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