Clench
/klɛntʃ/noun
To close or grip tightly; to press or hold firmly.
Did you know?Clench comes from an Old English word meaning “to make fast with a nail or bolt,” and its deeper Germanic relatives are tied to the idea of locking things down so firmly they cannot escape.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*klankjaną
“to fasten, clench, or make tight”
Old English
English
clencan
“to fasten, clamp, or make secure”
Middle English
English
clenchen
“to grip tightly; to fasten firmly”
16th Century
English
clench
“to close the hand tightly or fasten something securely”
Modern English
English
clench
“to grip or close tightly”