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View synonyms for cramp

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.


verb (used with object)

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

cramp

2

[ kramp ]

noun

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

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
“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 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
“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

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
“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 affect with or as if with a cramp
“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 Words From

  • cramping·ly adverb
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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
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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
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Idioms and Phrases

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

Worn down by all that running, Foster pulled up with cramps on what should have been a long touchdown run.

That game went to penalties and, along with a performance from Jennifer Lopez, meant the USA and China had to warm-up in the cramped corridors of the stadium.

From BBC

And squeezing his NBA-sized body into a dragster cockpit traditionally built for someone a third his size has left him with bruises on his hips, cramps in his legs and regular visits to the chiropractor.

While waiting for the D&C procedure, Shelley started experiencing cramps at home and went to A&E.

From BBC

It has outgrown its current base, which is rather cramped and struggles to accommodate its members on the one day a week it has access to premises at the Otley Courthouse arts centre.

From BBC

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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