Word of the Day

Friday, June 15, 2007

clamber

\KLAM-buhr; KLAM-uhr\ , intransitive verb;

To climb with difficulty, or on all fours; to scramble.

noun:

The act of clambering.

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Quotes:

At one point a whole horde of them fell over a shallow cliff. Plumes of red dust rose in the air as they struggled to clamber back up.

-- Thomas Beller, The Sleep-Over Artist

It was nature's deep spring of sweet water that he fell into when he was just old enough to say a few words, reaching to retrieve his only toy, a tin cup -- and somehow did not drown but clambered out in time to meet his frantic mother racing down the path.

-- Roy Reed, Faubus: The Life and Times of an American Prodigal

They rowed decrepit whaleboats up and down the harbor and clambered up into the rigging of the ships.

-- Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Heart of the Sea

He dithered for a moment, during which time Mrs Hardy, wailing like a banshee, rushed from the dining room and clambered clumsily up the stairs.

-- Beryl Bainbridge, Master Georgie

Origin:

Clamber is from Middle English clambren, probably a modification of climben, "to climb."