clutch

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   To seize, as though with claws.

   • to clutch power
   • A man may set the poles together in his head, and clutch the whole globe at one intellectual grasp.
   • Is this a Dagger, which I ſee before me, [...] ? / Come, let me clutch thee: / I haue thee not, and yet I ſee thee ſtill.
2. 2

   To grip or grasp tightly.

   • She clutched her purse tightly and walked nervously into the building.
   • Not that I haue the power to clutch my hand,
3. 3

   To win despite being the only remaining player on one's team, against several opponents.

   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:clutch.
4. ›+ 14 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      To unexpectedly or luckily succeed in a difficult activity.

   2. 5

      The claw of a predatory animal or bird.

   3. 6

      A grip, especially one seen as rapacious or evil.

      • I muſt have great leiſure, and little care of my ſelf, if I ever more come near the Clutches of ſuch a Giant, who ſeems to write with a Beetle inſtead of a Pen; […]
      • The more cunning heads thought it was all an expiring clutch at popularity, on the part of a Minister, whom domestic embarrassments, court intrigues, old age, and dropsy soon afterward finally drove from the helm.
   4. 7

      A device to interrupt power transmission, commonly used to separate the engine and…

      A device to interrupt power transmission, commonly used to separate the engine and gearbox in a car.

   5. 8

      The pedal in a car that disengages power and torque transmission from the engine (through…

      The pedal in a car that disengages power and torque transmission from the engine (through the drivetrain) to the drive wheels.

   6. 9

      Any device for gripping an object, as at the end of a chain or tackle.

   7. 10

      A fastener that attaches to the back of a tack pin to secure an accessory to clothing.…

      A fastener that attaches to the back of a tack pin to secure an accessory to clothing. (See Clutch (pin fastener).)

   8. 11

      A small handbag or purse with no straps or handle.

   9. 12

      An important or critical situation.

      • to come in clutch
      • And when it came to the clutch, Johnny Mize, who was washed up five years ago, would crack out a pinch double, or Mickey Mantle, who is not yet ready for the big leagues, would slam out a home run.
      • He is the player who has come through so often in the clutch during his days at Camarillo.
   10. 13

       A difficult maneuver.

   11. 14

       Performing or tending to perform well in difficult, high-pressure situations.

       • NC State made the most of their overtime possession scoring a touchdown on some very clutch plays.
       • I start with his most obvious characteristic: he was clutch. He is Mr. Clutch. In the last chapter I mentioned that Bernie Williams was clutch, which was a valid assessment, but nobody on the Yankees was as clutch as Jeter was.
       • It doesn't get more clutch than that!
   12. 15

       A brood of chickens or a sitting of eggs

       A brood of chickens or a sitting of eggs; a sitting.

       • For instance, baby chicks influence their mother’s behaviour by giving high piercing cheeps when they are lost or cold. This usually has the immediate effect of summoning the mother, who leads the chick back to the main clutch.
   13. 16

       A group or bunch (of people or things).

       • No longer would Britons routinely blame the national government when things went wrong. Instead they would demand action from a new clutch of elected mayors, police commissioners and the like.
   14. 17

       To hatch.

The neighborhood