clamp
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.
to fasten with or fix in a clamp.
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
1Other words for clamp
Other words from clamp
- un·clamped, adjective
Words Nearby clamp
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use clamp in a sentence
The Innogear stand clamps directly onto your desk and stays wherever you put it thanks to spring tension.
Gifts that make video calls look and feel more glamorous | Stan Horaczek | December 9, 2020 | Popular-ScienceSome lawmakers are upset by several recent actions social media companies have taken that clamp down on free speech, while others think the companies are doing far too little far too late.
Everything to know about the political food fight over Section 230 | Danielle Abril | October 19, 2020 | FortunePeople like to use this stand with a seated or standing desk, and it has front clamps to prevent your machine from slipping.
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 OnlineEach 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
Researchers were aware that the DEA was going to fairly quickly clamp down on MDMA.
The carabiner is a D-shaped metal clamp that has a gate that opens and closes.
Thrills and Too Many Spills: The Dangers of the Circus | Marina Watts | May 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTCordice affixed a surgical clamp to the blade to accord a grip on it.
The Black and White Men Who Saved Martin Luther King’s Life | Michael Daly | January 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMaynard 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 | THE DAILY BEASTSome are meant to be worn as you sleep, like this seemingly suffocating clip and this metallic clamp.
DIY Plastic Surgery: Can You Change Your Face Without Going Under the Knife? | Nina Strochlic | January 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSometimes they would clamp a crooked stick between a grooved piece of sandstone and a flat bone.
The Later Cave-Men | Katharine Elizabeth DoppWhen the shellac is thoroughly dry, warm the stone again to melt the shellac, and clamp the pieces together.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | VariousSometimes a dozen of them would clamp their peavies on either side, and by sheer brute force carry the stick to deep water.
Blazed Trail Stories | Stewart Edward WhiteWhen 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 | VariousIn either case, do not let the edges of the splicing material meet, and it will clamp tightly on the whip.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | Various
British Dictionary definitions for clamp (1 of 2)
/ (klæmp) /
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
nautical a horizontal beam fastened to the ribs for supporting the deck beams in a wooden vessel
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 forcefully: they clamped a curfew on the town
Origin of clamp
1British Dictionary definitions for clamp (2 of 2)
/ (klæmp) British agriculture /
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
(tr) to enclose (a harvested root crop) in a mound
Origin of clamp
2Collins 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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