cramp

¹

[ kramp ]

noun

1. Often cramps.
   1. a sudden, involuntary, spasmodic contraction of a muscle or group of muscles, especially of the extremities, sometimes with severe pain.
   2. a piercing pain in the abdomen.
   3. an intermittent, painful contraction of structures of a wall containing involuntary muscle, as in biliary colic or in the uterine contractions of menstruation or of labor.
2. writer's cramp.

verb (used with object)

1. to affect with or as if with a cramp.

cramp

²

[ kramp ]

noun

1. cramp iron.
2. a portable frame or tool with a movable part that can be screwed up to hold things together; clamp.
3. anything that confines or restrains.
4. a cramped state or part.

verb (used with object)

1. to fasten or hold with a cramp.
2. to confine narrowly; restrict; restrain; hamper.
3. to turn (the front wheels of a motor vehicle) by means of the steering gear; steer.

adjective

1. cramped ².

cramp

¹

/ kræmp /

noun

1. Also calledcramp iron a strip of metal with its ends bent at right angles, used to bind masonry
2. a device for holding pieces of wood while they are glued; clamp
3. something that confines or restricts
4. a confined state or position

verb

1. to secure or hold with a cramp
2. to confine, hamper, or restrict
3. cramp someone's style informal.
   to prevent a person from using his abilities or acting freely and confidently

cramp

²

/ kræmp /

noun

1. a painful involuntary contraction of a muscle, typically caused by overexertion, heat, or chill
2. temporary partial paralysis of a muscle group

   writer's cramp

3. usually plural in the US and Canada severe abdominal pain

verb

1. tr to affect with or as if with a cramp

Other Words From

• cramping·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cramp¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English crampe, from Old French, from Germanic; cognate with Middle Dutch crampe, Old Saxon krampo, Old High German krampfo; derivative of an adjective meaning “narrow, constrained, bent”; compare Old High German krampf, Old Norse krappr; akin to crimp ¹

Origin of cramp²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English crampe, crompe, from Middle Dutch; cramp ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of cramp¹

C15: from Middle Dutch crampe cramp, hook, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German khramph bent; see cramp ¹

Origin of cramp²

C14: from Old French crampe, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German krampho

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cramp one's style, Informal. to prevent one from showing one's best abilities.

Example Sentences

The residents of Çatalhöyük appear to have copied the cramped passages of natural caves.

From Nautilus

Instead, a rival theory blaming cramps on “altered neuromuscular control” first proposed in the 1990s by Martin Schwellnus, a sports physician at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, has been gaining support.

From Outside Online

Schwellnus himself warned that muscle cramps are a complex phenomenon with many different contributing factors, so we shouldn’t expect a simple solution.

From Outside Online

What we’re left with is a search for factors we can control that might influence cramp risk.

From Outside Online

This punctures the idea that cramps are a punishment for bad pacing.

From Outside Online

Cast: Tyler Christopher, Isabella Cramp, Jami Gertz, Tim Jo, Toks Olagundoye, Simon Templeman, Lenny Venito.

From The Daily Beast

If Prince Harry is back on again with Chelsy Davy, he's not letting it cramp his style.

From The Daily Beast

Madame Ratignolle begged Robert to accompany her to the house; she complained of cramp in her limbs and stiffness of the joints.

From Project Gutenberg

Jack nodded with a strange, twisted little smile, as if he were suffering from cramp in the legs.

From Project Gutenberg

“Ah, my dear, you careless young people make jokes of things that would fret us old ones to fiddle-strings,” reproved Mrs. Cramp.

From Project Gutenberg

The darkness and chill began to tell upon me, and an agonising cramp contracted my legs.

From Project Gutenberg

When the cramp left me, I cast myself off again, and dropped below the ledge.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• clog
• constrain
• hamper
• hinder
• restrain
• shackle