Crampon
/ˈkræm.pɒn/noun
A metal device with spikes attached to footwear for grip on ice or rock.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to a Germanic root meaning “to bend or hook,” the same ancient idea behind several words for grasping, clipping, and hooking in European languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krampōn-
“a hook, clamp, or crook-shaped object”
Old French
OF
crampon
“a hook, clasp, or spur-like projection”
Middle French
MF
crampon
“a hook, crampon, or metal spike for fastening or climbing”
16th Century
English
crampon
“a hooked iron or spike used for gripping or fastening”
Modern English
English
crampon
“a spiked traction device attached to boots for ice or climbing”