clamp

CEFRC1

/ˈklæmp/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A device that holds things tightly together.

  2. 02

    verb

    To hold or fasten something tightly.

Examples

  • A wise businessman knows how to clamp down on costs.

  • Tighten the clamp before you start sawing.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
4

Also pronounced

  • [ˈkʰlæmp]
  • [ˈkʰleə̯mp]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A parking enforcement device used to immobilise a car until it can be towed or a fine is paid; a wheel clamp.

  2. An instrument used to temporarily shut off blood vessels, etc.

  3. A brace, band, or clasp for strengthening or holding things that are apart together.

More examples

In context

  • I was only parked there for five minutes but my car was still clamped.

  • [T]he pots would be stacked in a heap, covered with wood chippings and brushwood and domed over with turves, leaving a few air vents around the sides. When complete the clamp would be fired[.]

  • After the depth range is clamped, the depth value is read from the depth stencil buffer, and the two values are compared with a selectable depth-comparison function […]

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The mechanic used a blank to hold the brake line securely.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle Dutch clamp, klampe (“a clamp, hook”), from Proto-Germanic *klampō (“clamp, clasp, cramp”), related to Proto-West Germanic *klammjan. Cognate with Middle Low German klampe (“hook, clasp”), German Klampfe, Klampe (“clamp, cleat”), Norwegian klamp (“clamp”), Alemannic German Chlempi.