The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
CLAMP
clamp, clinch
(noun) a device (generally used by carpenters) that holds things firmly together
clamp
(verb) impose or inflict forcefully; “The military government clamped a curfew onto the capital”
clamp
(verb) fasten or fix with a clamp; “clamp the chair together until the glue has hardened”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Noun
clamp (plural clamps)
A brace, band, or clasp for strengthening or holding things together.
(medicine) An instrument used to temporarily shut off blood vessels, etc.
(UK) A parking enforcement device used to immobilise a car until it can be towed or a fine is paid; a wheel clamp.
A mass of bricks heaped up to be burned; or of ore for roasting, or of coal coking.
A pile of root vegetables stored under a layer of earth.
A piece of wood (batten) across the grain of a board end to keep it flat, as in a breadboard.
(electronics) An electronic circuit that fixes either the positive or the negative peak excursions of a signal to a defined value by shifting its DC value.
Verb
clamp (third-person singular simple present clamps, present participle clamping, simple past and past participle clamped)
(transitive, intransitive) To fasten in place or together with (or as if with) a clamp.
(transitive) To hold or grip tightly.
(transitive) To modify (a numeric value) so it lies within a specific range.
(UK, obsolete, transitive) To cover (vegetables, etc.) with earth.
Etymology 2
Imitative.
Noun
clamp (plural clamps)
(dated) A heavy footstep; a tramp.
Verb
clamp (third-person singular simple present clamps, present participle clamping, simple past and past participle clamped)
(intransitive, dated) To tread heavily or clumsily; to clump or clomp.
Source: Wiktionary
Clamp, n. Etym: [Cf. LG. & D. klamp, Dan. klampe, also D. klampen to fasten, clasp. Cf. Clam, Cramp.]
1. Something rigid that holds fast or binds things together; a piece of wood or metal, used to hold two or more pieces together.
2. (a) An instrument with a screw or screws by which work is held in its place or two parts are temporarily held together. (b) (Joinery) A piece of wood placed across another, or inserted into another, to bind or strengthen.
3. One of a pair of movable pieces of lead, or other soft material, to cover the jaws of a vise and enable it to grasp without bruising.
4. (Shipbuilding)
Definition: A thick plank on the inner part of a ship's side, used to sustuan the ends of beams.
5. A mass of bricks heaped up to be burned; or of ore for roasting, or of coal coking.
6. A mollusk. See Clam. [Obs.] Clamp nails, nails used to fasten on clamps in ships.
Clamp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clamped p. pr. & vb. n. Clamping.]
1. To fasten with a clamp or clamps; to apply a clamp to; to place in a clamp.
2. To cover, as vegetables, with earth. [Eng.]
Clamp, n. Etym: [Prob. an imitative word. Cf.Clank.]
Definition: A heavy footstep; a tramp.
Clamp, v. i.
Definition: To tread heavily or clumsily; to clump. The policeman with clamping feet. Thackeray.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
29 April 2025
CORRECTION
(noun) a drop in stock market activity or stock prices following a period of increases; “market runups are invariably followed by a correction”
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