English Explanatory Dictionary

clinch

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb

To bend and hammer the point of (a nail) so it cannot be removed.
To clasp; to interlock.
To fasten securely or permanently.
To make certain; to finalize.
To hold firmly; to clench
To set closely together; to close tightly.
To hold a boxing opponent with one or both arms so as to avoid being hit while resting momentarily
To secure a spot (e.g., at the divisional championship) before the end of regular season play by having an insurmountable lead.
To embrace passionately.

noun

Any of several fastenings.
The act of bending and hammering the point of a nail so it cannot be removed.
The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast.
A pun.
A hitch or bend by which a rope is made fast to the ring of an anchor, or the breeching of a ship's gun to the ringbolts.
A passionate embrace.
The act of one or both fighters holding onto the other to prevent being hit or engage in standup grappling.
A prison sentence.

name

A surname.
A river in Virginia and Tennessee, United States, a tributary of the Tennessee River, named after an 18th century explorer.

Pronunciation

/klɪnt͡ʃ/ en-us-clinch.ogg

Word forms

clinch clinches clinching clinched

Etymology

16th-century alteration of clench.

Synonyms

clasp grasp grip beclasp begrasp begrip belock clench clinch cling clutch enclasp fang fondle glaum grab grabble hang on hold on hold tight hold nab nim seize stranglehold take attach join put together accouple affix assemble associate bewed bind combine conglomerate conglutinate conjoin connect construct couple entwine fay fix graft hitch hook inosculate interlink joint knit knot link marry piece together piecen pinion splice unite

Related words

clench clincher clinch nut

Derived words

unclinch clinch-built Clinch County

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

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