clutch

clutch¹

C0427500 (klŭch)v. clutched, clutch·ing, clutch·es v.tr.1. To grasp and hold tightly: a child clutching a blanket.2. To seize; snatch: clutched the banana from my hand.v.intr.1. To attempt to grasp or seize: clutch at a life raft.2. To engage or disengage a motor vehicle's clutch.n.1. A hand, claw, talon, or paw in the act of grasping.2. A tight grasp.3. often clutches Control or power: caught in the clutches of sin.4. A device for gripping and holding.5. a. Any of various devices for engaging and disengaging two working parts of a shaft or of a shaft and a driving mechanism.b. The apparatus, such as a lever or pedal, that activates one of these devices.6. A tense, critical situation: came through in the clutch.7. A small, strapless purse that is carried in the hand.adj. Informal 1. Being or occurring in a tense or critical situation: won the championship by sinking a clutch putt.2. Tending to be successful in tense or critical situations: The coach relied on her clutch pitcher.Idiom: clutchat straws To search in desperation for a solution to a difficulty.

[Middle English clucchen, variant of clicchen, from Old English clyccan; probably akin to Swedish klyka, crotch (of a tree), place where something branches.]

clutch²

C0427500 (klŭch)n.1. The complete set of eggs produced or incubated at one time.2. A brood of chickens.3. A group; a bunch.tr.v. clutched, clutch·ing, clutch·es To hatch (chicks).

[Variant of dialectal cletch; akin to Middle English clekken, to hatch, from Old Norse klekja.]

clutch

(klʌtʃ) vb1. (tr) to seize with or as if with hands or claws2. (tr) to grasp or hold firmly3. (usually foll by: at) to attempt to get hold or possession (of)n4. (Mechanical Engineering) a device that enables two revolving shafts to be joined or disconnected as required, esp one that transmits the drive from the engine to the gearbox in a vehicle5. (Mechanical Engineering) a device for holding fast6. a firm grasp7. a hand, claw, or talon in the act of clutching: in the clutches of a bear. 8. (often plural) power or control: in the clutches of the Mafia. 9. (Clothing & Fashion) Also called: clutch bag a handbag without handles[Old English clyccan; related to Old Frisian kletsie spear, Swedish klyka clasp, fork]

clutch

(klʌtʃ) n1. (Zoology) a hatch of eggs laid by a particular bird or laid in a single nest2. (Agriculture) a brood of chickens3. informal a group, bunch, or clustervb (Agriculture) (tr) to hatch (chickens)[C17 (Northern English dialect) cletch, from Old Norse klekja to hatch]

clutch¹

(klʌtʃ)

v.t. 1. to seize with or as if with the hands or claws; snatch. 2. to hold tightly. 3. to spellbind; grip a person's interest or emotions. v.i. 4. to try to seize or grasp (usu. fol. by at): to clutch at a fleeing child. 5. to operate the clutch in a vehicle. n. 6. the hand, claw, etc., when grasping. 7. Often, clutches. power or control: to fall into the clutches of the enemy. 8. a tight grip or hold. 9. a device for gripping something. 10. a. a mechanism for engaging or disengaging a shaft that drives a mechanism or is driven by another part. b. a pedal or other control for operating this. 11. a critical point or moment. 12. a woman's small strapless handbag. adj. 13. done in a critical situation: a clutch shot that won the game. 14. dependable in crucial situations: a clutch player. [1175–1225; Middle English clucchen, variant of clicchen, Old English clyccan to clench]

clutch²

(klʌtʃ)

n., v. clutched, clutch•ing. n. 1. a hatch of eggs; the number of eggs produced or incubated at one time. 2. a brood of chickens. 3. a number of similar things or individuals. v.t. 4. to hatch (chickens). [1715–25; variant of dial. cletch; akin to Scots cleck to hatch]

Clutch

a nest of eggs or brood of young. See also brood, cletch, family.Examples: clutch of chicken; constables [modern]; eggs, 1721; geese, 1885; partridges; squalls, 1825; tempests, 1825.

clutch

Past participle: clutched
Gerund: clutching

Imperative
clutch
clutch

Present
I clutch
you clutch
he/she/it clutches
we clutch
you clutch
they clutch

Preterite
I clutched
you clutched
he/she/it clutched
we clutched
you clutched
they clutched

Present Continuous
I am clutching
you are clutching
he/she/it is clutching
we are clutching
you are clutching
they are clutching

Present Perfect
I have clutched
you have clutched
he/she/it has clutched
we have clutched
you have clutched
they have clutched

Past Continuous
I was clutching
you were clutching
he/she/it was clutching
we were clutching
you were clutching
they were clutching

Past Perfect
I had clutched
you had clutched
he/she/it had clutched
we had clutched
you had clutched
they had clutched

Future
I will clutch
you will clutch
he/she/it will clutch
we will clutch
you will clutch
they will clutch

Future Perfect
I will have clutched
you will have clutched
he/she/it will have clutched
we will have clutched
you will have clutched
they will have clutched

Future Continuous
I will be clutching
you will be clutching
he/she/it will be clutching
we will be clutching
you will be clutching
they will be clutching

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been clutching
you have been clutching
he/she/it has been clutching
we have been clutching
you have been clutching
they have been clutching

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been clutching
you will have been clutching
he/she/it will have been clutching
we will have been clutching
you will have been clutching
they will have been clutching

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been clutching
you had been clutching
he/she/it had been clutching
we had been clutching
you had been clutching
they had been clutching

Conditional
I would clutch
you would clutch
he/she/it would clutch
we would clutch
you would clutch
they would clutch

Past Conditional
I would have clutched
you would have clutched
he/she/it would have clutched
we would have clutched
you would have clutched
they would have clutched

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	clutch - the act of grasping; "he released his clasp on my arm"; "he has a strong grip for an old man"; "she kept a firm hold on the railing"clutches, grip, hold, clasp, clench, graspchoke hold, chokehold - a restraining hold; someone loops the arm around the neck of another person in a tight grip, usually from behind; "he grabbed the woman in a chokehold, demanded her cash and jewelry, and then fled"embrace, embracement, embracing - the act of clasping another person in the arms (as in greeting or affection)prehension, taking hold, grasping, seizing - the act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles)wrestling hold - a hold used in the sport of wrestling
	2.	clutch - a tense critical situation; "he is a good man in the clutch"temporary state - a state that continues for a limited time
	3.	clutch - a number of birds hatched at the same timebrood - the young of an animal cared for at one time
	4.	clutch - a collection of things or persons to be handled togetherbatchaggregation, collection, accumulation, assemblage - several things grouped together or considered as a wholeschmear, schmeer, shmear - (Yiddish) a batch of things that go together; "he bought the whole schmeer"
	5.	clutch - a woman's strapless purse that is carried in the handclutch baghandbag, purse, bag, pocketbook - a container used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women); "she reached into her bag and found a comb"
	6.	clutch - a pedal or lever that engages or disengages a rotating shaft and a driving mechanism; "he smoothely released the clutch with one foot and stepped on the gas with the other"clutch pedalclutch - a coupling that connects or disconnects driving and driven parts of a driving mechanism; "this year's model has an improved clutch"foot lever, foot pedal, treadle, pedal - a lever that is operated with the foot
	7.	clutch - a coupling that connects or disconnects driving and driven parts of a driving mechanism; "this year's model has an improved clutch"clutch pedal, clutch - a pedal or lever that engages or disengages a rotating shaft and a driving mechanism; "he smoothely released the clutch with one foot and stepped on the gas with the other"coupler, coupling - a mechanical device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent objectsfreewheel - a clutch (as on the rear wheel of a bicycle) that allows wheels to turn freely (as in coasting)friction clutch - a clutch in which one part turns the other by the friction between themtransmission system, transmission - the gears that transmit power from an automobile engine via the driveshaft to the live axle
Verb	1.	clutch - take hold of; grab; "The sales clerk quickly seized the money on the counter"; "She clutched her purse"; "The mother seized her child by the arm"; "Birds of prey often seize small mammals"prehend, seizenab - seize suddenlyrack - seize together, as of parallel ropes of a tackle in order to prevent running through the blockclaw - clutch as if in panic; "She clawed the doorknob"get hold of, take - get into one's hands, take physically; "Take a cookie!"; "Can you take this bag, please"arrest, collar, cop, nab, nail, apprehend, pick up - take into custody; "the police nabbed the suspected criminals"capture, catch, get - succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase; "We finally got the suspect"; "Did you catch the thief?"collar - seize by the neck or collarclasp - grasp firmly; "The child clasped my hands"grip - hold fast or firmly; "He gripped the steering wheel"grab - take or grasp suddenly; "She grabbed the child's hand and ran out of the room"grab, take hold of, catch - take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of; "Catch the ball!"; "Grab the elevator door!"snatch, snatch up, snap - to grasp hastily or eagerly; "Before I could stop him the dog snatched the ham bone"clench, clinch - hold in a tight grasp; "clench a steering wheel"grapple, grip - to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match; "the two men grappled with each other for several minutes"
	2.	clutch - hold firmly, usually with one's hands; "She clutched my arm when she got scared"cling to, hold close, hold tighthold, take hold - have or hold in one's hands or grip; "Hold this bowl for a moment, please"; "A crazy idea took hold of him"cuddle, draw close, nestle, nuzzle, snuggle, nest - move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position; "We cuddled against each other to keep warm"; "The children snuggled into their sleeping bags"
	3.	clutch - affect; "Fear seized the prisoners"; "The patient was seized with unbearable pains"; "He was seized with a dreadful disease"get hold of, seizeoverwhelm, sweep over, whelm, overpower, overtake, overcome - overcome, as with emotions or perceptual stimuli

clutch

verb1. hold, grip, embrace, grasp, cling to, clasp She was clutching a photograph in her hand.2. seize, catch, grab, grasp, snatch I staggered and had to clutch at a chair for support.noun1. group, crowd, bunch, cluster, pack, load, bevy He was surrounded by a clutch of pretty girls.plural noun1. power, hands, control, grip, possession, grasp, custody, sway, keeping, claws He escaped his captors' clutches by jumping from a moving vehicle.

clutch¹

verb1. To take firmly with the hand and maintain a hold on:clasp, clench, grab, grapple, grasp, grip, seize.2. To get hold of (something moving):catch, grab, seize, snatch.Informal: nab.Idiom: lay hands on.noun1. The act of catching, especially a sudden taking and holding:catch, grab, seizure, snatch.2. An act or means of holding something:clasp, clench, grasp, grip, hold.Sports: grapple.

clutch²

nounA number of individuals making up or considered a unit:array, band, batch, bevy, body, bunch, bundle, clump, cluster, collection, group, knot, lot, party, set.

Translations

抓住控制离合器紧握陷入某人的控制中

clutch

(klatʃ) verb1. (with at) to try to take hold of. I clutched at a floating piece of wood to save myself from drowning.抓住2. to hold tightly (in the hands). She was clutching a 50–cent piece.紧握 noun1. control or power. He fell into the clutches of the enemy.控制2. (the pedal operating) a device by means of which two moving parts of an engine may be connected or disconnected. He released the clutch and the car started to move.离合器clutch at straws to hope that something may help one in a hopeless situation. 作毫无成功希望的努力，捞救命稻草

clutch

→ 陷入某人的控制中zhCN

clutch

pearl-clutching

1. adjective Scandalized or mortified about some event, situation, thing, etc., that was once salacious but is now relatively common; morally conservative, stuffy, prudish, or unfashionable. Those pearl-clutching old prudes gave me dirty looks as I walked past in my cut-off jeans, but I don't give a hoot what they think about me.2. noun The practice or habit of reacting in a scandalized or mortified manner to once-salacious but now relatively common things, events, situations, etc. I have to say that I am sick and tired of all the pearl-clutching going on amongst parents. Look, our kids are growing up in a different social environment than when we were in school, and it's high time we learned to deal with that!

clutch (one's)/the pearls

To react in a scandalized or mortified manner to once-salacious but now relatively common things, events, situations, etc. Parents should try not to clutch the pearls every time their teenagers come out of their room dressed outrageously—it only makes them want to push the envelope even further. My mother would always clutch her pearls whenever I began telling her about a new boyfriend, so eventually I stopped filling her in altogether.See also: clutch, pearl

pearl-clutch

To react in a scandalized or mortified manner to once-salacious but now relatively common things, events, situations, etc. Parents should try not to pearl-clutch every time their teenagers come out of their room dressed outrageously—it only makes them want to push the envelope even further. My mother would always pearl-clutch whenever I began telling her about a new boyfriend, so eventually I stopped filling her in altogether.

clutch at a straw

To make a desperate attempt to salvage a bad situation. A: "But what about all those times I took the trash out when you hadn't even asked me to?" B: "That has nothing to do with why you're in trouble now, so stop clutching at a straw."See also: clutch, straw

a drowning man will clutch at a straw

Someone who is desperate will try to use anything for help, even if it is really no help at all. Facing the possibility that his marriage might be over, John began visiting psychics to help him decide what to do. A drowning man will clutch at a straw.See also: clutch, drown, man, straw, will

clutch at (someone or something)

To grasp at someone or something. The baby clutched at her mother and wailed. My daughter clutched at the string on the balloon so that it wouldn't fly away.See also: clutch

clutch at straws

1. To make a desperate attempt to salvage a bad situation. A: "But what about all those times I took the trash out when you hadn't even asked me to?" B: "That has nothing to do with why you're in trouble now, so stop clutching at straws."2. To consider positive suggestions or thoughts in a bad situation. OK, you're just clutching at straws now, fantasizing about a potential buyer when your house has been on the market for months.See also: clutch, straw

clutch (someone or something) to (something)

To press or hold something firmly against something else. Suzy clutched her new doll to her chest. Clutch this icepack to your knee to alleviate the swelling.See also: clutch

fall into (someone or something's) clutches

To be obtained and controlled by an evil person or thing. This will no longer be a sneak attack if our strategy falls into the terrorist group's clutches.See also: clutch, fall

grasp at straws

clutched

Nervous or anxious. I used to get clutched every time I had to drive, but I'm a lot calmer behind the wheel now.See also: clutch

in(to) (someone's) clutches

Under the control of an evil person or thing. This will no longer be a sneak attack if our strategy falls into the terrorist group's clutches.See also: clutch

clutch at someone or something

to grasp at or grab for someone or something. He clutched at the roots of the trees along the bank, but the flood swept him away. Karen clutched at me, but lost her grip.See also: clutch

clutch at straws

Fig. to continue to seek solutions, ideas, or hopes that are insubstantial. When you talk of cashing in quick on your inventions, you are just clutching at straws. That is not a real solution to the problem. You are just clutching at straws.See also: clutch, straw

clutch someone or something to something

to grasp and hold someone or something to something. She clutched the baby to her bosom. Lee clutched the ice pack to his head.See also: clutch

clutch (up)

to become very tense and anxious; to freeze with anxiety. I have been known to clutch before a big game. Just relax, play your game, and you won't clutch!

A drowning man will clutch at a straw.

Prov. When you are desperate, you will look for anything that might help you, even if it cannot help you very much. Scott thinks this faith healer will cure his baldness. A drowning man will clutch at a straw.See also: clutch, drown, man, straw, will

in(to) someone's clutches

Fig. in the control of someone who has power or authority over someone else. Snow White fell into the clutches of the evil witch. Once you're in my clutches, I'll ruin you.See also: clutch

grasp at straws

Also, clutch at straws. Make a desperate attempt at saving oneself. For example, He had lost the argument, but he kept grasping at straws, naming numerous previous cases that had little to do with this one . This metaphoric expression alludes to a drowning person trying to save himself by grabbing at flimsy reeds. First recorded in 1534, the term was used figuratively by the late 1600s. See also: grasp, straw

clutch at straws

mainly BRITISH or

grasp at straws

1. If you clutch at straws or grasp at straws, you try to do something that is very unlikely to succeed because you are desperate or have tried everything else. This was a desperate speech, made by a man clutching at straws to retain his career. I was probably grasping at straws in a search for a cure, but I thought I would give the therapy a go.2. If you clutch at straws or grasp at straws, you try to find hope in a situation where there is no reason to feel hope. By this time, Rosa's behaviour was extremely strange and we were all very concerned. I told myself that at least she still had a job, but I was clutching at straws. Note: This expression comes from the proverb a drowning man will clutch at a straw. People are still clinging to the hope that something will happen — but I think it's like a drowning man trying to clutch at a straw. Note: The image here is of a drowning person who is desperately trying to take hold of anything to save himself or herself, even a straw. See also: clutch, straw

clutch (or grasp or catch) at straws

do, say, or believe anything, however unlikely or inadequate, which seems to offer hope in a desperate situation. This expression comes from the proverb a drowning man will clutch at a straw , which is recorded in various forms since the mid 16th century.See also: clutch, straw

clutch/grasp at ˈstraws

try all possible means to find a solution or some hope in a difficult or unpleasant situation, even though this seems very unlikely: The doctors have told him that he has only 6 months to live, but he won’t accept it. He’s going to a new clinic in Switzerland next week, but he’s just clutching at straws.See also: clutch, grasp, straw

clutch (up)

in. to become very tense and anxious; to freeze with anxiety. I have been known to clutch up before a race. See also: clutch, up

clutch

verbSee clutch up

clutched

mod. nervous. I get so clutched before a test. See also: clutch

clutch

at straws To search in desperation for a solution to a difficulty.

grasp at straws, to

To make a hopeless effort to save oneself. The term comes from the ancient image of a drowning man clutching at insubstantial reeds in an attempt to save himself, and it often was put as to catch or clutch at straws. It appeared in print as early as the sixteenth century and soon was regarded as a proverb. Indeed, Samuel Richardson so identifies it in Clarissa (1748): “A drowning man will catch at a straw, the proverb well says.” An earlier usage is “We do not as men redie to be drowned, catch at euery straw” (John Prime, Fruitful and Brief Discourse, 1583).See also: grasp

clutch

clutch 1

clutch 2

clutch

clutch

clutch1

clutch2

Clutch

clutch

clutch

clutch 1

clutch 2

clutch

clutch

clutch

pearl-clutching

clutch (one's)/the pearls

pearl-clutch

clutch at a straw

a drowning man will clutch at a straw

clutch at (someone or something)

clutch at straws

clutch (someone or something) to (something)

fall into (someone or something's) clutches

grasp at straws

clutched

in(to) (someone's) clutches

clutch at someone or something

clutch at straws

clutch someone or something to something

clutch (up)

A drowning man will clutch at a straw.

in(to) someone's clutches

grasp at straws

clutch at straws

grasp at straws

clutch (or grasp or catch) at straws

clutch/grasp at ˈstraws

clutch (up)

clutch

clutched

clutch

grasp at straws, to

clutch

clutch,

Clutch

REFERENCES

clutch

Clutch

clutch

clutch

clutch

clutch

clutch

CLUTCH

clutch

Synonyms for clutch

verb hold

Synonyms

verb seize

Synonyms

noun group

Synonyms

noun power

Synonyms

Synonyms for clutch

verb to take firmly with the hand and maintain a hold on

Synonyms

verb to get hold of (something moving)

Synonyms

noun the act of catching, especially a sudden taking and holding

Synonyms

noun an act or means of holding something

Synonyms

noun a number of individuals making up or considered a unit

Synonyms

Synonyms for clutch

noun the act of grasping

Synonyms

Related Words

clutch¹

clutch²

clutch¹

clutch²

clutch¹

clutch²