a device, usually of some rigid material, for strengthening or supporting objects or fastening them together.
an appliance with opposite sides or parts that may be adjusted or brought closer together to hold or compress something.
one of a pair of movable pieces, made of lead or other soft material, for covering the jaws of a vise and enabling it to grasp without bruising.
Also called clamp rail .Carpentry. a rail having a groove or a number of mortises for receiving the ends of a number of boards to bind them into a flat piece, as a drawing board or door.
Nautical.
a horizontal timber in a wooden hull, secured to ribs to support deck beams and to provide longitudinal strength.
mast clamp.
verb (used with object)
to fasten with or fix in a clamp.
Verb Phrases
clamp down,to become more strict: There were too many tax loopholes, so the government clamped down.
clamp down on,to impose or increase controls on.
Origin of clamp
1350–1400; Middle English (noun) <Middle Dutch clampe clamp, cleat; cognate with Middle Low German klampe
SYNONYMS FOR clamp
6 clinch, clench, secure.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR clamp ON THESAURUS.COM
OTHER WORDS FROM clamp
un·clamped,adjective
Words nearby clamp
clam-flat, clammy, clamor, clamorous, clamour, clamp, clampdown, clamp down on, clamper, clamp forceps, clamshell
People like to use this stand with a seated or standing desk, and it has front clamps to prevent your machine from slipping.
Laptop stands to protect your posture|PopSci Commerce Team|October 5, 2020|Popular Science
We appreciate the ergonomic top with an extended, 100-millimeter clamp zone that’s perfect for mounting a cycling computer, aero bars, handlebar bag, lights, and anything else we might need to bring along on our adventure outings.
New Gravel Bike Accessories for a Smoother Ride|Josh Patterson|September 28, 2020|Outside Online
Each arm can independently support up to 20 pounds, and they’re joined together by a single central desk clamp.
The best monitor arms for desk-mounting your display|PopSci Commerce Team|August 26, 2020|Popular Science
Maynard left the clamp in place and managed to pull out the blade.
The Black and White Men Who Saved Martin Luther King’s Life|Michael Daly|January 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It's critical that suppliers do all they can to clamp down on electricity theft.
UK Weeds Out Illegal Cannabis Farms|CNBC|July 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But in 1983, the Communist Party launched a Campaign against Spiritual Pollution, to clamp down on experimental art.
Ma Jian: How I Write|Noah Charney|June 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Hamas has in the past worked to clamp down on factions firing projectiles, like Islamic Jihad and others.
Bodies for Ballots|Yousef Munayyer|November 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
They were waiting for something to go wrong so they could clamp down on him.
Activist Arrested Over ‘Innocence’ Allegations|Mike Giglio|September 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The bar fell aside and he pulled a .45 pistol from its clamp.
The Syndic|C.M. Kornbluth
When pulling on the tie pin the arms of the holder tend to draw together and clamp it on the pin.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
The simplest means is to glue a thick board on the under side of the clamp.
Practical Bookbinding|Paul Adam
The parallel part at a is to receive the driving clamp, but sometimes a lug cast on at that end is used instead of a clamp.
Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II|Joshua Rose
This may be done with fire brick placed under the pieces in the correct position, or, better still, with some form of clamp.
Oxy-Acetylene Welding and Cutting|Harold P. Manly
British Dictionary definitions for clamp (1 of 2)
clamp1
/ (klæmp) /
noun
a mechanical device with movable jaws with which an object can be secured to a bench or with which two objects may be secured together
See also wheel clamp
a means by which a fixed joint may be strengthened
nauticala horizontal beam fastened to the ribs for supporting the deck beams in a wooden vessel
verb(tr)
to fix or fasten with or as if with a clamp
to immobilize (a car) by means of a wheel clamp
to inflict or impose forcefullythey clamped a curfew on the town
Word Origin for clamp
C14: from Dutch or Low German klamp; related to Old English clamm bond, fetter, Old Norse kleppr lump
British Dictionary definitions for clamp (2 of 2)
clamp2
/ (klæmp) Britishagriculture /
noun
a mound formed out of a harvested root crop, covered with straw and earth to protect it from winter weather
a pile of bricks ready for processing in a furnace
verb
(tr)to enclose (a harvested root crop) in a mound
Word Origin for clamp
C16: from Middle Dutch klamp heap; related to clump