clutch

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++clutch1 /klʌtʃ/ verb 1 [transitive]HOLD to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose it 紧握，紧抓 SYN grip, grasp She was clutching a bottle of champagne. 她手里紧紧抓着一瓶香槟酒。► see thesaurus at hold →4 See picture on 见图 Page A2 Car 汽车 →4 See picture of 见图 HOLD2 [intransitive, transitive] (also clutch at somebody/something) a) to suddenly take hold of someone or something because you are frightened, in pain, or in danger 〔因害怕、疼痛或遇险而〕突然抓住，猛地抓住 SYN grab He clutched at a pillar for support. 他猛地抓住一根柱子作支撑。 Tom fell to the ground clutching his stomach. 汤姆捂着肚子倒在地上。 b) clutch at somebody’s heart if something clutches at your heart, you suddenly feel fear or nervousness 某人突然感到一阵恐惧[不安]3 be clutching at straws especially British English to be trying everything possible to find a solution or hope in a difficult situation, even though it will probably be unsuccessful 抓救命稻草，急不暇择 I knew that trying the alternative medicine was just clutching at straws. 我很清楚尝试非传统疗法只不过是在抓救命稻草。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

clutch• Joanne clutched her mother's hand.• There was a loud report somewhere outside the house and Lee clutched her pillow.• We only clutch our rifles more firmly and brace ourselves to receive the shock...• A patient found him screaming and clutching the bottle.• She stumbled to her feet, clutching the eiderdown around her, and opened her mouth to call to them.• That way, you can see if you clutch the lectern or keep your hands too stiffly at your side.• I had seen them in Kano clutching their swords as they slept in shop doorways where they were employed as night-watchmen.• Yet they come out of there clutching this little key he give them.• Fong stood in the doorway, his invitation clutched tightly in his hand.clutch2 noun 1. [countable] the pedal that you press with your foot when driving a vehicle in order to change gear, or the part of the vehicle that this controls 〔车辆的〕离合器（踏板） →5 see picture at 见图 car2 somebody’s clutches POWER[plural] the power, influence, or control that someone has 某人的掌控[影响，统治] a small boy trying to escape from his mother’s clutches 一个想逃离母亲管束的小男孩in somebody’s clutches She’ll have him in her clutches soon enough. 不久她就会把他抓在手心里。3 clutch of something GROUP OF THINGSa small group of similar things 一小群[簇]类似之物 a clutch of eggs (=the number of eggs laid by a bird at one time) 一窝蛋 a clutch of young mothers 一小群年轻妈妈4 [singular]HOLD a tight hold that someone has on something 紧握，紧抓 SYN grip, grasp I shook myself free of her clutch. 我从她的紧抱中挣脱出来。

Examples from the Corpus

clutch• Rarely can such a clutch of famous names have faced the stark and unfamiliar spectre of failure on one afternoon.• Some have more efficient clutches, some have better bale-arm mechanisms; better finishes or smoother gears.• The heavy clutch and cumbersome gear change remain the worst feature.• At last her clutch on him became less desperate and her shivers less violent.• Soon there would be the little clutch of spectators, the curious children shooed away by the adults, the Press photographers.• A female caged with an impotent male produced clutches at roughly one month intervals.• Such noises made Wyatt wonder if Cyril bothered to use the clutch at all or had resolved somehow to do without it.Origin clutch1 Old English clyccan clutch2 1. (1600-1700) → CLUTCH12. (1700-1800) cletch “clutch” ((17-19 centuries)), from cleck “to hatch” ((15-19 centuries)), from Old Norse klekja

clutch1 verbclutch2 nounChinese

do tightly Corpus hold to not because you something

See ldoce4223jpg for more

clutch

clutch¹ /klʌtʃ/

verb

Language: Old English
Origin: clyccan

1. [transitive] to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose it
SYN grip, grasp:

She was clutching a bottle of champagne.
2. [intransitive and transitive] (also clutch at somebody/something)
  a. to suddenly take hold of someone or something because you are frightened, in pain, or in danger
   SYN grab:

He clutched at a pillar for support.

Tom fell to the ground clutching his stomach.
b. clutch at sb’s heart if something clutches at your heart, you suddenly feel fear or nervousness
3. be clutching at straws especially British English to be trying everything possible to find a solution or hope in a difficult situation, even though it will probably be unsuccessful:

I knew that trying the alternative medicine was just clutching at straws.

THESAURUS

   ▪ hold to have something in your hand, hands, or arms: Maria came in holding a letter. | Can I hold the baby?
   ▪ grip to hold something very tightly and not let it go: He gripped her arm so she couldn’t walk away. | Jenny gripped the side of the boat to steady herself.
   ▪ clutch to hold something tightly, especially because you do not want to drop or lose it: A businessman hurried past, clutching his briefcase. | The little girl clutched onto his hand.
   ▪ clasp written to hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms around them: She was clasping a bunch of small summer flowers. | He clasped her in his arms and kissed her.
   ▪ get/take hold of something to take something in your hand or hands and hold it: I took hold of the handle and pulled as hard as I could. | Quickly – try and get hold of that frog!
   ▪ grasp written to take hold of something firmly, especially in a determined way: She grasped the lowest branch and pulled herself up into the tree.
   ▪ grab to take hold of something suddenly and often violently: He grabbed my bag and ran off with it. | The other man grabbed hold of (=suddenly took hold of ) my arms and threatened me with a knife.
   ▪ seize /siːz/ written to take hold of something suddenly and often violently: A police officer ran after him and seized the gun.
   ▪ hang on (to something) to hold on to something or someone tightly to support yourself: He hung on to the rail at the back of the motorbike. | Hang on tight!
   ▪ keep hold of something to continue to hold something: Greg was struggling to keep hold of the dog. | She tried to take her hand away but he kept hold of it.

clutch²

noun

Sense 1-2,4

Date: 1600-1700
Origin: ⇨ clutch¹

Sense 3

Date: 1700-1800
Origin: cletch 'clutch' (17-19 centuries), from cleck 'to hatch' (15-19 centuries), from Old Norse klekja

1. [countable] the pedal that you press with your foot when driving a vehicle in order to change gear, or the part of the vehicle that this controls
2. sb’s clutches [plural] the power, influence, or control that someone has:

a small boy trying to escape from his mother’s clutches
in sb’s clutches

She’ll have him in her clutches soon enough.
3. clutch of something a small group of similar things:

a clutch of eggs (=the number of eggs laid by a bird at one time)

a clutch of young mothers
4. [singular] a tight hold that someone has on something
SYN grip, grasp:

I shook myself free of her clutch.

verb,

noun

clutch

BrE

/klʌtʃ/

🔊

NAmE

/klʌtʃ/

🔊

verb

present simple - I / you / we / they

clutch

BrE

/klʌtʃ/

🔊

NAmE

/klʌtʃ/

🔊

present simple - he / she / it

clutches

BrE

/ˈklʌtʃɪz/

🔊

NAmE

/ˈklʌtʃɪz/

🔊

past simple

clutched

BrE

/klʌtʃt/

🔊

NAmE

/klʌtʃt/

🔊

past participle

clutched

BrE

/klʌtʃt/

🔊

NAmE

/klʌtʃt/

🔊

-ing form

clutching

BrE

/ˈklʌtʃɪŋ/

🔊

NAmE

/ˈklʌtʃɪŋ/

🔊

[transitive

, intransitive]

to hold sb/sth tightly 紧握；抱紧；抓紧

SYN

grip

◆

~ sth (+ adv./prep.)

He clutched the child to him. 他紧紧地抱住小孩。

🔊

◆She stood there, the flowers still clutched in her hand. 她站在那里，手里仍然紧握着花束。

🔊

◆

+ adv./prep.

I clutched on to the chair for support.我紧紧抓住椅子撑着身体。

<titled tranID="43" status="1">hold</titled>hold on ◇ cling ◇ clutch ◇ grip ◇ grasp ◇ clasp ◇ hang on

These words all mean to have sb/sth in your hands or arms. 以上各词均表示抓住、抱住。

hold to have sb/sth in your hand or arms 指抓住、抱住、托住、夹住：◆She was holding a large box. 她提着一只大箱子。◆I held the baby gently in my arms. 我把婴儿轻轻地抱在怀里。
hold on (to sb/sth) to continue to hold sb/sth; to put your hand on sb/sth and not take your hand away 指抓紧、不放开：◆Hold on and don't let go until I say so. 握紧，我让你松手时才松开。
cling to hold on to sb/sth tightly, especially with your whole body 尤指用身体紧抱、紧握、抓紧：◆Survivors clung to pieces of floating debris. 生还者紧紧抱住漂浮在水面上的残骸。
clutch to hold sb/sth tightly, especially in your hand; to take hold of sth suddenly 尤指用手抓紧、紧握、抱紧、突然抓住：◆She stood there, the flowers still clutched in her hand. 她站在那里，手里仍然紧握着花束。◆He felt himself slipping and clutched at a branch. 他感到自己滑了一下，便一把抓住一根树枝。
grip to hold on to sth very tightly with your hand 指用手紧握、紧抓：◆Grip the rope as tightly as you can. 尽可能紧紧抓住绳子。
grasp to take hold of sth firmly 指抓紧、抓牢：◆He grasped my hand and shook it warmly. 他热情地抓着我的手握了起来。 NOTE The object of grasp is often sb's hand or wrist. * grasp 的宾语通常为 hand 或 wrist。
clasp (formal) to hold sb/sth tightly in your hand or in your arms 指紧握、攥紧、抱紧：◆They clasped hands(= held each other's hands). 他们相互紧握着对方的手。◆She clasped the children in her arms. 她把孩子紧紧地搂在怀里。 NOTE The object of clasp is often your hands, sb else's hand or another person. * clasp 的宾语通常为 hand 或另一个人。
hang on (to sth) to hold on to sth very tightly, especially in order to support yourself or stop yourself from falling 尤指为支撑自己或防止跌倒而紧紧抓住某物：◆Hang on tight. We're off! 抓紧，我们出发了！

Patterns

to hold/clutch/grip/clasp sth in your hand/hands
to hold/clutch/clasp sb/sth in your arms
to hold/clutch/grip/grasp/clasp/hang on to sth
to hold/cling/hang on
to hold/clutch/clasp sb/sth to you
to hold/hold on to/cling to/clutch/grip/grasp/clasp/hang on to sb/sth tightly
to hold/hold on to/cling to/clutch/grip/grasp/clasp sb/sth firmly
to hold/hold on to/clutch/grip/clasp/hang on to sb/sth tight

[transitive

, intransitive]

to take hold of sth suddenly, because you are afraid or in pain （因害怕或痛苦）突然抓住

◆

~ sth

He gasped and clutched his stomach. 他喘着气突然按住自己的胃部。

🔊

◆

~ at sb/sth

(

figurative

)

Fear clutched at her heart. 她突然感到一阵恐惧袭上心头。

🔊

●clutch/grasp at ˈstraws

to try all possible means to find a solution or some hope in a difficult or unpleasant situation, even though this seems very unlikely （在危难中）抓救命稻草，不放过任何微小的机会

<titled tranID="43" status="1">hold</titled>hold on ◇ cling ◇ clutch ◇ grip ◇ grasp ◇ clasp ◇ hang on

These words all mean to have sb/sth in your hands or arms. 以上各词均表示抓住、抱住。

hold to have sb/sth in your hand or arms 指抓住、抱住、托住、夹住：◆She was holding a large box. 她提着一只大箱子。◆I held the baby gently in my arms. 我把婴儿轻轻地抱在怀里。
hold on (to sb/sth) to continue to hold sb/sth; to put your hand on sb/sth and not take your hand away 指抓紧、不放开：◆Hold on and don't let go until I say so. 握紧，我让你松手时才松开。
cling to hold on to sb/sth tightly, especially with your whole body 尤指用身体紧抱、紧握、抓紧：◆Survivors clung to pieces of floating debris. 生还者紧紧抱住漂浮在水面上的残骸。
clutch to hold sb/sth tightly, especially in your hand; to take hold of sth suddenly 尤指用手抓紧、紧握、抱紧、突然抓住：◆She stood there, the flowers still clutched in her hand. 她站在那里，手里仍然紧握着花束。◆He felt himself slipping and clutched at a branch. 他感到自己滑了一下，便一把抓住一根树枝。
grip to hold on to sth very tightly with your hand 指用手紧握、紧抓：◆Grip the rope as tightly as you can. 尽可能紧紧抓住绳子。
grasp to take hold of sth firmly 指抓紧、抓牢：◆He grasped my hand and shook it warmly. 他热情地抓着我的手握了起来。 NOTE The object of grasp is often sb's hand or wrist. * grasp 的宾语通常为 hand 或 wrist。
clasp (formal) to hold sb/sth tightly in your hand or in your arms 指紧握、攥紧、抱紧：◆They clasped hands(= held each other's hands). 他们相互紧握着对方的手。◆She clasped the children in her arms. 她把孩子紧紧地搂在怀里。 NOTE The object of clasp is often your hands, sb else's hand or another person. * clasp 的宾语通常为 hand 或另一个人。
hang on (to sth) to hold on to sth very tightly, especially in order to support yourself or stop yourself from falling 尤指为支撑自己或防止跌倒而紧紧抓住某物：◆Hang on tight. We're off! 抓紧，我们出发了！

Patterns

to hold/clutch/grip/clasp sth in your hand/hands
to hold/clutch/clasp sb/sth in your arms
to hold/clutch/grip/grasp/clasp/hang on to sth
to hold/cling/hang on
to hold/clutch/clasp sb/sth to you
to hold/hold on to/cling to/clutch/grip/grasp/clasp/hang on to sb/sth tightly
to hold/hold on to/cling to/clutch/grip/grasp/clasp sb/sth firmly
to hold/hold on to/clutch/grip/clasp/hang on to sb/sth tight

●ˈclutch/ˈcatch at sth/sb

to try to quickly get hold of sth/sb 试图一把抓住

SYN

grab

clutch

BrE

/klʌtʃ/

🔊

NAmE

/klʌtʃ/

🔊

noun

[countable]

the

pedal

in a car or other vehicle that you press with your foot so that you can change gear （汽车等换挡用的）离合器踏板

◆Put your foot on the clutch. 把你的脚放在离合器踏板上。

🔊

<titled tranID="9" status="6">Driving<chnsep> </chnsep><chn>驾驶</chn></titled>

Having a car 拥有一辆汽车

have/own/ (BrE) run a car 有一辆汽车
ride a motorcycle/motorbike 骑摩托车
drive/prefer/use an automatic/a manual/(NAmE, informal) a stick shift 开／喜欢／用自动挡／手动挡汽车
have/get your car serviced/fixed/repaired 给汽车做一次保养／维修一下／修理一下
buy/sell a used car/(especially BrE) a second-hand car 买／卖二手车
take/pass/fail a (BrE) driving test/(both NAmE) driver's test/road test 参加／通过／未通过驾照考试／道路考试
get/obtain/have/lose/carry a/your (BrE) driving licence/(NAmE) driver's license 得到／拥有／丢失／携带驾照

Driving 驾驶

put on/fasten/ (NAmE) buckle/wear/undo your seat belt/safety belt 系上／解开安全带
put/turn/leave the key in the ignition 把钥匙插进点火开关；转动钥匙点火；把钥匙留在点火开关
start the car/engine 发动汽车／引擎
(BrE) change/ (NAmE) shift/put sth into gear 换挡；挂上挡
press/put your foot on the brake pedal/clutch/accelerator 踩刹车／离合器／油门
release the clutch/(especially BrE) the handbrake/(both NAmE) the emergency brake/the parking brake 松开离合器／手刹
drive/park/reverse the car 驾车；停车；倒车
(BrE) indicate left/right 示意左转／右转
(especially NAmE) signal that you are turning left/right 示意左转／右转
take/miss (BrE) the turning/(especially NAmE) the turn 拐弯；错过拐弯处
apply/hit/slam on the brake(s) 踩刹车；猛踩刹车
beep/honk/ (especially BrE) toot/ (BrE) sound your horn 按喇叭

Problems and accidents 问题及事故

a car skids/crashes (into sth)/collides (with sth) 车打滑／撞上（某物）／（与某物）相撞
swerve to avoid an oncoming car/a pedestrian 猛地转弯以避开迎面来的车／行人
crash/lose control of the car 撞车；车失控
have/be in/be killed in/survive a car crash/a car accident/(NAmE) a car wreck/a hit-and-run 出车祸／肇事逃逸事故；在车祸／肇事逃逸事故中丧生；幸免于车祸／肇事逃逸事故
be run over/knocked down by a car/bus/truck 被汽车／公交车／大卡车轧过／撞倒
dent/hit (BrE) the bonnet/(NAmE) the hood 撞凹／撞上引擎盖
break/crack/shatter (BrE) the windscreen/(NAmE) the windshield 打碎挡风玻璃
blow/ (especially BrE) burst/puncture (BrE) a tyre/(NAmE) a tire 爆胎；扎破轮胎
get/have (BrE) a flat tyre/a flat tire/a puncture 胎瘪了；轮胎被扎破了
inflate/change/fit/replace/check a tyre/tire 给轮胎充气；更换／安装／更换／检查轮胎

Traffic and driving regulations 交通法规

be caught in/get stuck in/sit in a traffic jam 遇上堵车
cause congestion/tailbacks/traffic jams/gridlock 引起交通堵塞
experience/face lengthy delays 经历／面临长时间的延误
beat/avoid the traffic/the rush hour 避开交通高峰时段
break/observe/ (NAmE) drive the speed limit 超速行驶；遵守速度限制；限速行驶
be caught on (BrE) a speed camera 被测速摄像机逮住
stop sb for/pull sb over for/ (BrE, informal) be done for speeding 因超速被要求停车／停靠路边／被逮住
(both informal) run/ (BrE) jump a red light/the lights 闯红灯
be arrested for/charged with (BrE) drink-driving/(both US) driving under the influence (DUI)/driving while intoxicated (DWI) 因酒后驾车／醉酒驾车被逮捕／起诉
be banned/ (BrE) disqualified from driving 被禁止驾车；被取消驾驶资格