cleek

American  

[kleek] / klik /

noun

1. Chiefly Scot. a large hook, especially one fixed to the inside walls of a house to hold clothing, pots, or food.

2. Golf: Older Use. a club with an iron head, a narrow face, and little slope, used for shots from a poor lie on the fairway and sometimes for putting.

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verb (used with object)

claught, cleeked, claucht, cleeked, cleeking

1. Chiefly Scot. to grasp or seize (something) suddenly and eagerly; snatch.

cleek British  

/ kliːk /

noun

1. a large hook, such as one used to land fish

2. golf a former name for a club, corresponding to the modern No. 1 or No. 2 iron, used for long low shots

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Etymology

Origin of cleek

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ( Scots ) cleke “hook,” derivative of cleke “to take hold of,” variant of cleche, akin to clutch ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cleek claucht claught cleeked cleeking

It was also an impressive feat, given that Terry and his teammates were hitting rubberlike gutta percha balls with handmade wooden-shafted clubs that, instead of numbers, bore names like brassie, niblick, spoon and cleek.

From New York Times ● Oct. 31, 2021

At the time, Niccol informed the audience of analysts and investors about the millennial phrase "on cleek," which he explained meant "on point."

From US News ● Jun. 10, 2015

"I accused them of telling me it's 'on cleek'."

From US News ● Jun. 10, 2015

To the firm work of his putting cleek, a cut putt or a wide were rare exceptions.

From Time Magazine Archive

Where else is there a place where a golfer may get fourteen days for depending for all his long shots on his driving iron or his cleek?

From The Happy Golfer Being Some Experiences, Reflections, and a Few Deductions of a Wandering Golfer by Leach, Henry

She turnt her face to the drivin snaw,   To the snaw but and the weet; It claucht her snood, an' awa like a dud   Her hair drave oot i' the sleet.

From The poetical works of George MacDonald in two volumes — Volume 2 by MacDonald, George

There cam a gowst of wind, claught her by the coats, and awa’ wi’ her, bag and baggage.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 11 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis

It was a braw spring morn, and Tam whustled as he claught in the young geese.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 11 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis

Ae spring brought off her master hale, But left behind her ain grey tail: The carlin claught her by the rump, And left poor Maggie scarce a stump.

From Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Burns, Robert

It's not made of iron, I wot, nor my claithes of chenzie-mail; so a club smashed the tane, and a claught damaged the tither.

From The Fortunes of Nigel by Scott, Walter, Sir

I think, to this hour, how I saw her at the window, how the fire came in behind her, and claught her like a fiery Belzebub, and bore her into perdition before our eyes.

From The Annals of the Parish; or, the chronicle of Dalmailing during the ministry of the Rev. Micah Balwhidder by Galt, John

At length he is cleeked in earnest, and hauled to shore; he proves one of the grey-skull newly run, and weighs somewhat above twenty pounds.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 54, No. 333, July 1843 by Various

O, mind ye how we hung our heads, How cheeks brent red wi' shame, Whene'er the scule-weans, laughin', said We cleeked thegither hame?

From The World's Best Poetry, Volume 3 Sorrow and Consolation by Carman, Bliss

More ladders, tied safely together, were hoisted to riggings of buildings and held in place by ropes conveniently cleeked round chimneys.

From Patsy by Crockett, S. R. (Samuel Rutherford)

“Hurrah!” shouted Olaf, with a flourish of his weapon, which made the narrowest possible miss of cleeking Tyrker by the nose.

From The Norsemen in the West by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)