clutch
UK[klʌtʃ]US[klʌtʃ]
v
To hold something tightly, especially because you are afraid, anxious, or do not want to lose it.
n
A device in a vehicle that allows you to connect or disconnect the engine from the wheels.
n
A tight hold or grip.
n
A set of eggs that a bird lays and sits on at one time.
Etymology
The word 'clutch' has a direct lineage from the Old English clyccan, meaning to clench or bring together, likely of imitative origin related to the physical act of grabbing. Its core semantic thread of "grasping" or "holding together" has remained remarkably consistent. This fundamental sense branched out to describe a tight grip, a device that connects and disconnects engine power by bringing parts together, and a group of eggs held together under a bird. The logic of the word's evolution is a clear metaphorical extension from the physical act of seizing to various mechanical and biological applications centered on the concept of connection and control.
Analysis
This word is a simplex form. It originates from the Old English verb clyccan, meaning "to clench" or "to bring together." It is related to other Germanic words implying a hooking or grasping action.
Examples
The child clutched her mother's hand in the crowded market.
He pressed the clutch and shifted into first gear.
The falcon returned to its clutch of eggs in the cliffside nest.