Cramp Definition

krămp
cramped, cramping, cramps
noun
cramps
A sudden, painful, involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles from chill, strain, etc.
Webster's New World
Partial local paralysis, as from excessive use of muscles.
Webster's New World
Abdominal or uterine spasms and pain.
Webster's New World
A metal bar bent to form a right angle at each end, for holding together blocks of stone, timbers, etc.
Webster's New World
A device for clasping or fastening things together; a clamp.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
verb
cramped, cramping, cramps
To cause a cramp or cramps in.
Webster's New World
To fasten with or as with a cramp.
Webster's New World
To suffer from or experience cramps.
American Heritage
To shut in so closely as to restrict the physical freedom of.
Were cramped in the tiny cubicle.
American Heritage
To confine; hamper; restrain.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
adjective
Cramped.
American Heritage
Webster's New World
idiom
cramp (one's) style
  • To restrict or prevent from free action or expression.
American Heritage
cramp someone's style
  • to hamper someone's usual skill or confidence in doing something
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Cramp

Noun

Singular:
cramp
Plural:
cramps

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Cramp

Origin of Cramp

  • From Middle English crampe, from Old French crampe, cranpe (“cramp”), from Old Frankish *krampa (“cramp”), from Proto-Germanic *krampō (“cramp, clasp”), from Proto-Indo-European *grem- (“to unite; lap, pile, heap”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to unite, collect, forgather”). Cognate with Dutch kramp (“cramp”), German Low German Kramp (“cramp”), German Krampe and Krampf (“cramp”), Swedish kramp (“cramp”), Icelandic krampa (“cramp”).

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English crampe probably from Middle Dutch hook, cramp Adj., probably akin to Icelandic krappr constrained, tight and Old High German cramf squeezed

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English crampe from Old French of Germanic origin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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