Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense cramps, present participle cramping, past tense, past participle cramped
1. uncountable noun
Cramp is a sudden strong pain caused by a muscle suddenly contracting. You sometimes get cramp in a muscle after you have been making a physical effort over a long period of time.
Hillsden was complaining of cramp in his calf muscles. [+ in]
...muscle cramp.
She started getting stomach cramps this morning.
Synonyms: spasm, pain, ache, contraction More Synonyms of cramp
2.
See to cramp someone's style
More Synonyms of cramp
cramp in British English1
(kræmp)
noun
1.
a painful involuntary contraction of a muscle, typically caused by overexertion, heat, or chill
2.
temporary partial paralysis of a muscle group
writer's cramp
3. (usually plural in the US and Canada)
severe abdominal pain
verb
4. (transitive)
to affect with or as if with a cramp
Word origin
C14: from Old French crampe, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German krampho
cramp in British English2
(kræmp)
noun
1. Also called: cramp iron
a strip of metal with its ends bent at right angles, used to bind masonry
2.
a device for holding pieces of wood while they are glued; clamp
3.
something that confines or restricts
4.
a confined state or position
verb(transitive)
5.
to secure or hold with a cramp
6.
to confine, hamper, or restrict
7. cramp someone's style
Word origin
C15: from Middle Dutch crampe cramp, hook, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German khramph bent; see cramp1
cramp in American English1
(kræmp)
noun
1.
a sudden, painful, involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles from chill, strain, etc.
2.
partial local paralysis, as from excessive use of muscles
3. [usually pl.]
abdominal or uterine spasms and pain
verb transitive
4.
to cause a cramp or cramps in
often in the passive
Word origin
ME crampe < OFr, bent, twisted < Frank *kramp; akin to MDu & MLowG krampe: for IE base see cradle
cramp in American English2
(kræmp)
noun
1.
a metal bar bent to form a right angle at each end, for holding together blocks of stone, timbers, etc.
: also called cramp iron
2.
a device for clasping or fastening things together; a clamp
3.
anything that confines or hampers
4.
a cramped condition or part
verb transitive
5.
to fasten with or as with a cramp
6.
to confine; hamper; restrain
7.
to turn (the front wheels of an automobile, etc.) sharply
adjective
8.
cramped
Idioms:
cramp someone's style
Word origin
MDu krampe, lit., bent in, hence anything bent in; akin to cramp1
More idioms containing
cramp
cramp someone's style
Examples of 'cramp' in a sentence
cramp
Better signs of calcium deficiency are muscle twitching and cramps.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You have to be careful as you can get cramp.
The Sun (2016)
She must get face cramp from smiling so much.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He experienced stomach cramps on the morning of the day he was taken to hospital.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Many sufferers have no symptoms at all until they get painful cramps in the calf muscles.
The Sun (2008)
Then that my trainers were making my feet spread, resulting in painful cramps.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Stop exercising if you suffer bleeding, sudden cramps or chest pains and see your doctor.
The Sun (2013)
Long before it occurred, he began to experience painful cramps and rigidity of the upper abdomen.
Campbell, Eileen & Brennan, J. H. Dictionary of Mind, Body and Spirit (1994)
Stop exercising if you suffer bleeding, sudden cramps or chest pains and see yourdoctor right away.
The Sun (2012)
I suffered a few cramps last year but so do all players.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
This is bound to cause neck ache, either from whiplash or by making you so tense your neck muscles cramp up.
The Sun (2008)
He gets headaches, stomach cramps, and palpitations.
The Sun (2007)
Everyone knows about calf cramps, but these muscle spasms can cause trouble elsewhere - such as your hand.
The Sun (2012)
Effects These only occur when excessively large quantities are consumed and can include nausea, flatulence and abdominal cramps.
Hanssen, Maurice & Marsden, Jill E For Additives (1987)
Some liken them to intense period cramps, others say they are far, far more painful than that.
The Sun (2009)
I got writer 's cramp and didn't catch it.
Christianity Today (2000)
He would sometimes suffer from writer 's cramp, which he would treat with a bucket of ice or bag of frozen peas on his wrist.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
cramp
British English: cramp NOUN
Cramp is a sudden strong pain caused by a muscle suddenly contracting. You sometimes get cramp in a muscle after you have been making a physical effort over a long period of time.
He was complaining of cramp in his calf muscles.
American English: cramp
Brazilian Portuguese: cãibra
Chinese: 抽筋
European Spanish: calambre
French: crampe
German: Krampf
Italian: crampo
Japanese: けいれん
Korean: 쥐
European Portuguese: cãibra
Latin American Spanish: calambre
All related terms of 'cramp'
G-cramp
a strip of metal with its ends bent at right angles , used to bind masonry
cramp ball
a hard round blackish ascomycetous fungus , Daldinia concentrica, characteristically found on the bark of ash trees and formerly carried to ward off cramp . The specific name refers to the concentric rings revealed if the fungus is sliced
cramp iron
a strip of metal with its ends bent at right angles , used to bind masonry
heat cramp
a cramp or muscular spasm caused by loss of water and salt following prolonged exertion in hot weather
writer's cramp
a muscular spasm or temporary paralysis of the muscles of the thumb and first two fingers caused by prolonged writing
cramp someone's style
to prevent someone from behaving freely in the way that they want
to cramp someone's style
If someone or something cramps your style , their presence or existence restricts your behaviour in some way.