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View synonyms for

clamp

[ klamp ]

noun

  1. a device, usually of some rigid material, for strengthening or supporting objects or fastening them together.
  2. an appliance with opposite sides or parts that may be adjusted or brought closer together to hold or compress something.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Nautical.
    1. a horizontal timber in a wooden hull, secured to ribs to support deck beams and to provide longitudinal strength.


verb (used with object)

  1. to fasten with or fix in a clamp.

    Synonyms: , ,

verb phrase

  1. to impose or increase controls on.
  2. to become more strict:

    There were too many tax loopholes, so the government clamped down.

clamp

1

/ æ /

noun

  1. 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
  2. See also wheel clamp
  3. a means by which a fixed joint may be strengthened
  4. nautical a horizontal beam fastened to the ribs for supporting the deck beams in a wooden vessel
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to fix or fasten with or as if with a clamp
  2. to immobilize (a car) by means of a wheel clamp
  3. to inflict or impose forcefully

    they clamped a curfew on the town

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

clamp

2

/ æ /

noun

  1. a mound formed out of a harvested root crop, covered with straw and earth to protect it from winter weather
  2. a pile of bricks ready for processing in a furnace
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. tr to enclose (a harvested root crop) in a mound
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • ܲ· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of clamp1

1350–1400; Middle English (noun) < Middle Dutch clampe clamp, cleat; cognate with Middle Low German klampe
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Word History and Origins

Origin of clamp1

C14: from Dutch or Low German klamp; related to Old English clamm bond, fetter, Old Norse kleppr lump

Origin of clamp2

C16: from Middle Dutch klamp heap; related to clump
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Traders are counting their losses as Tanzania clamps down on people trying to flout a ban on goods from neighbouring Malawi in an escalating regional trade row.

From

This mirrors a US action, with the White House set to clamp down on deliveries under $800 - specifically those sent from China and Hong Kong - on 2 May.

From

Sometimes the muscles of the body tense, leading the hands to clamp up into “lobster claws.”

From

To clamp down those numbers, the Dominican Republic has deported more than 80,000 people to Haiti in the first three months of this year, according to AFP news agency.

From

The DfE is also clamping down on nurseries charging for extras, such as meals, snacks and nappies.

From

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