clinch
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Clinch
Etymology
16th-century alteration of clench.
Pronunciation
Verb
clinch (third-person singular simple present clinches, present participle clinching, simple past and past participle clinched)
- To bend and hammer the point of (a nail) so it cannot be removed. [from 1560s]
- To clasp; to interlock.
- 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 9, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
- “Beloved shipmates, clinch the last verse of the first chapter of Jonah—‘And God had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.’”
- To fasten securely or permanently.
- To make certain; to finalize. [from 1716]
- I already planned to buy the car, but the color was what really clinched it for me.
- To hold firmly; to clench
- Synonyms: clasp, grasp, grip; see also Thesaurus:grasp
- To set closely together; to close tightly.
- Synonyms: attach, join, put together; see also Thesaurus:join
- to clinch the teeth or the fist
- 1731 (date written, published 1745), Jonathan Swift, “[Directions to Servants.] The Duty of Servants at Inns.”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XVI, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 175:
- [T]ry if the heads of the nails [of horseshoes] be fast, and whether they be well clinched; if not, send presently for a smith; always stand by while the smith is employed.
- To hold a boxing opponent with one or both arms so as to avoid being hit while resting momentarily [1860s]
- To secure a spot (e.g., at the divisional championship) before the end of regular season play by having an insurmountable lead.
- 2023 August 31, Seattle Times:
- It put the U.S. on the brink of clinching a spot in the quarterfinals.
- To embrace passionately.
Derived terms
Translations
to clasp, to interlock
to make certain, finalize
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to fasten securely or permanently
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Noun
clinch (plural clinches)
- Any of several fastenings.
- The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast.
- (obsolete) A pun.
- (nautical) A hitch or bend by which a rope is made fast to the ring of an anchor, or the breeching of a ship's gun to the ringbolts.
- A passionate embrace.
- 2015, Judith Arnold, Moondance:
- More likely, he was letting her know that his visit this morning was not going to end in a clinch—or something steamier. It was going to be about sitting at a table, drinking coffee and talking.
- (wrestling, combat sports) The act of one or both fighters holding onto the other to prevent being hit or engage in standup grappling.
- (slang, archaic) A prison sentence.
- 1882, Henry Herman, Henry Arthur Jones, The Silver King:
- COOMBE: He got the clinch only last week — eighteen months. You see it's no good having anybody here as ain't got a unblemished character. We don't want to have the bluebottles come sniffing round here, do we?
Derived terms
Descendants
Translations
any of several fastenings
combat sports
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See also
Further reading
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
clinch m (plural clinchs)
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