CRAMP

cramp, cramp iron

(noun) a strip of metal with ends bent at right angles; used to hold masonry together

cramp

(noun) a clamp for holding pieces of wood together while they are glued

spasm, cramp, muscle spasm

(noun) a painful and involuntary muscular contraction

cramp

(verb) suffer from sudden painful contraction of a muscle

cramp

(verb) affect with or as if with a cramp

hamper, halter, cramp, strangle

(verb) prevent the progress or free movement of; “He was hampered in his efforts by the bad weather”; “the imperialist nation wanted to strangle the free trade between the two small countries”

cramp

(verb) secure with a cramp; “cramp the wood”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

cramp (countable and uncountable, plural cramps)

A painful contraction of a muscle which cannot be controlled.

That which confines or contracts; a restraint; a shackle; a hindrance.

A clamp for carpentry or masonry.

A piece of wood having a curve corresponding to that of the upper part of the instep, on which the upper leather of a boot is stretched to give it the requisite shape.

Verb

cramp (third-person singular simple present cramps, present participle cramping, simple past and past participle cramped)

(intransitive) (of a muscle) To contract painfully and uncontrollably.

(transitive) To affect with cramps or spasms.

(transitive, figurative) To prohibit movement or expression of.

(transitive) To restrain to a specific physical position, as if with a cramp.

To fasten or hold with, or as if with, a cramp iron.

(by extension) To bind together; to unite.

To form on a cramp.

Adjective

cramp (comparative more cramp, superlative most cramp)

(archaic) cramped; narrow

Proper noun

Cramp

A surname.

Source: Wiktionary

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Cramp (krmp), n. Etym: [OE. crampe, craumpe; akin to D. & Sw. kramp, Dan. krampe, G. krampf (whence F. crampe), Icel. krappr strait, narrow, and to E. crimp, crumple; cf. cram. See Grape.]

1. That which confines or contracts; a restraint; a shakle; a hindrance. A narrow fortune is a cramp to a great mind. L'Estrange. Crippling his pleasures with the cramp of fear. Cowper.

2. (Masonry)

Definition: A device, usually of iron bent at the ends, used to hold together blocks of stone, timbers, etc.; a cramp iron.

3. (Carp.)

Definition: A rectangular frame, with a tightening screw, used for compressing the jionts of framework, etc.

4. A piece of wood having a curve corresponding to that of the upper part of the instep, on which the upper leather of a boot is stretched to give it the requisite shape.

5. (Med.)

Definition: A spasmodic and painful involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles, as of the leg. The cramp, divers nights, gripeth him in his legs. Sir T. More. Cramp bone, the patella of a sheep; -- formerly used as a charm for the cramp. Halliwell. "He could turn cramp bones into chess men." Dickens.

– Cramp ring, a ring formerly supposed to have virtue in averting or curing cramp, as having been consecrated by one of the kings of England on Good Friday.

Cramp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cramped (krp. pr. & vb. n. Cramping.]

1. To compress; to restrain from free action; to confine and contract; to hinder. The mind my be as much cramped by too much knowledge as by ignorance. Layard.

2. To fasten or hold with, or as with, a cramp.

3. Hence, to bind together; to unite. The . . . fabric of universal justic is well cramped and bolted together in all its parts. Burke.

4. To form on a cramp; as, to cramp boot legs.

5. To afflict with cramp. When the gout cramps my joints. Ford. To cramp the wheels of wagon, to turn the front wheels out of line with the hind wheels, so that one of them shall be against the body of the wagon.

Cramp, a. Etym: [See Cramp, n.]

Definition: Knotty; difficult. [R.] Care being taken not to add any of the cramp reasons for this opinion. Coleridge.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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