crampon

American  

[kram-pon] / ˈkræm pɒn /

Also crampoon

noun

1. a spiked iron plate worn on boots or shoes for aid in climbing or to prevent slipping on ice, snow, etc.

2. a device for grasping and lifting heavy loads, usually consisting of a pair of hooks suspended from a chain or cable, the upward pull on which provides tension for the hooks to grip the load on opposite sides.

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crampon British  

/ ˈkræmpən /

noun

1. one of a pair of pivoted steel levers used to lift heavy objects; grappling iron

2. (often plural) one of a pair of frames each with 10 or 12 metal spikes, strapped to boots for climbing or walking on ice or snow

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verb

1. to climb using crampons

Etymology

Origin of crampon

1275–1325; Middle English cra ( u ) mpon < Old French crampon < Old Low Franconian *krampo, cognate with Old High German krampfo, Middle Dutch crampe; see cramp ²

Example Sentences

Chris Haugen realized he lost his crampon — a glacial traction device climbers attach to their shoes — and scrambled down to retrieve it after climbers below said they saw the missing footwear.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 29, 2023

Standing on its tip, my crampon points biting into a rim of blue ice, I feel as though I’ve been swallowed by the sky.

From National Geographic • Jul. 14, 2015

Together we discussed and gravely considered the relative merits of side compression straps, spindrift collars, crampon patches, load transfer differentials, air-flow channels, webbing loops, and something called the occipital cutout ratio.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Barely breathing now, I moved my feet up, scrabbling my crampon points across the verglas.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Standing there, afraid to move any closer to the edge, I noticed a single set of faint crampon tracks leading past me toward the abyss.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer