Clamp Meaning

/ˈklæmp/
C1

Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Listen pronunciation

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

nounAn instrument used to temporarily shut off blood vessels, etc.

A wise businessman knows how to clamp down on costs.
Tighten the clamp before you start sawing.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The mechanic used a ____ to hold the brake line securely.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I used a metal ____ to hold the two pieces of wood together now.

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.

"[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[.]" — 1983, Barry Cunliffe, chapter 8, in Danebury Hillfort, Stroud: Tempus:
"As we burst into the room, the Count turned his face, and the hellish look that I had heard described seemed to leap into it. His eyes flamed red with devilish passion. The great nostrils of the white aquiline nose opened wide and quivered at the edge, and the white sharp teeth, behind the full lips of the blood dripping mouth, clamped together like those of a wild beast." — 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Westminster [London]: Archibald Constable and Company, […], →OCLC:
"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 […]" — 2016, Jason Zink, Matt Pettineo, Jack Hoxley, Practical Rendering and Computation with Direct3D 11, page 253:
"the policeman with clamping feet" — 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words

CEFR Practice Quiz
The mechanic used a ____ to hold the brake line securely.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I used a metal ____ to hold the two pieces of wood together now.

Expand Your Vocabulary with LexUp

Master English words using smart flashcards, play exciting word rounds, and compete with other learners worldwide.

Browse CEFR Words Alphabetically