Clamp
/klæmp/noun
A device or action used to grip, fasten, or hold something tightly in place.
Did you know?Clamp is an old Germanic word for a gripping tool or mass of metal, and its history is tied to the idea of pressing, pinching, and fastening rather than any mystical root.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*klampō
“a lump, clump, or gripping mass; something that binds or holds”
Old English
OE
clampe
“a clamp, band, or fastening device”
Middle English
ME
clampe
“a clasp, fetter, or fastening tool”
Modern English
English
clamp
“a device for gripping or holding something tightly in place”