cramp

[ kramp ]

/ kræmp /

noun

Often cramps.

a sudden, involuntary, spasmodic contraction of a muscle or group of muscles, especially of the extremities, sometimes with severe pain.
a piercing pain in the abdomen.
an intermittent, painful contraction of structures of a wall containing involuntary muscle, as in biliary colic or in the uterine contractions of menstruation or of labor.

writer's cramp.

verb (used with object)

to affect with or as if with a cramp.

Nearby words

Origin of cramp

1325–75; Middle English crampe < Old French < Germanic; cognate with Middle Dutch crampe, Old Saxon krampo, Old High German krampfo; derivative of adj. meaning narrow, constrained, bent; compare Old High German krampf, Old Norse krappr; akin to crimp¹

cramp

[ kramp ]

/ kræmp /

noun

cramp iron.

a portable frame or tool with a movable part that can be screwed up to hold things together; clamp.

anything that confines or restrains.

a cramped state or part.

verb (used with object)

to fasten or hold with a cramp.

to confine narrowly; restrict; restrain; hamper.

to turn (the front wheels of a motor vehicle) by means of the steering gear; steer.

adjective

cramped².

Origin of cramp

1375–1425; late Middle English crampe < Middle Dutch: hook. See cramp¹

Related formscramp·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cramping

The cramping muscle should be carefully stretched and massaged to relieve pain.
A Lesson From LeBron James’ Game One Nightmare|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After cramping up, James likely received immediate access to world-class medical attention.
A Lesson From LeBron James’ Game One Nightmare|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They expected about 15 people, but blamed Friday-night traffic in the sprawling city for cramping the size.
At Bars Nationwide, Conservatives Raise a Glass to Andrew Breitbart|Ben Jacobs, Laura Isensee|March 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Angie is cramping, which she expected, but gushes to me that she loved the nurses.
Inside an Oklahoma Abortion Clinic|Allison Yarrow|January 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST

A malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of a language and making it hard and inelastic.
The Devil's Dictionary|Ambrose Bierce
That night I was attacked with cramping colic and suffered fearfully.
Memoirs of John R. Young|John Young
This other thing of living on a smaller scale is the cramping effect of sin.
Quiet Talks with World Winners|S. D. Gordon
The lack of servants was becoming one of the most cramping problems of the prairie town.
Main Street|Sinclair Lewis
Deadening, cramping finality has lost its charm for him who has tasted of the ripe fruit of the tree of knowledge.
A Century of Science and Other Essays|John Fiske

British Dictionary definitions for cramping

cramp

/ (kræmp) /

noun

a painful involuntary contraction of a muscle, typically caused by overexertion, heat, or chill

temporary partial paralysis of a muscle groupwriter's cramp

(usually plural in the US and Canada) severe abdominal pain

verb

(tr) to affect with or as if with a cramp

Word Origin for cramp

C14: from Old French crampe, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German krampho

cramp

/ (kræmp) /

noun

Also called: cramp iron a strip of metal with its ends bent at right angles, used to bind masonry

a device for holding pieces of wood while they are glued; clamp

something that confines or restricts

a confined state or position

verb (tr)

to secure or hold with a cramp

to confine, hamper, or restrict

cramp someone's style informal to prevent a person from using his abilities or acting freely and confidently

Word Origin for cramp

C15: from Middle Dutch crampe cramp, hook, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German khramph bent; see cramp 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cramping

cramp

n.1

"muscle contraction," late 14c., from Old French crampe, from a Frankish or other Germanic word (cf. Old High German krapmhe "cramp, spasm," related to kramph "bent, crooked"), from a Proto-Germanic root forming many words for "bent, crooked," including, via French, crampon. Writer's cramp is first attested 1842 as the name of a physical affliction of the hand, in reference to translations of German medical papers (Stromeyer); also known as scrivener's palsy.

cramp

n.2

"metal bar bent at both ends," early 15c., from Middle Dutch crampe or Middle Low German krampe, both from the same Proto-Germanic root that yielded cramp (n.1). Metaphoric sense of "something that confines or hinders" first recorded 1719.

cramp

v.1

"to contract" (of muscles), early 15c., from cramp (n.1). Related: Cramped; cramping.

cramp

v.2

c.1400, "to bend or twist," from cramp (n.2). Later "compress forcibly" (1550s), and, figuratively, "to restrict" (1620s). Related: Cramped; cramping.

Medicine definitions for cramping

cramp

[ krămp ]

n.

A sudden, involuntary, spasmodic muscular contraction causing severe pain, often occurring in the leg or shoulder as the result of strain or chill.

A temporary partial paralysis of habitually or excessively used muscles.

cramps Spasmodic contractions of the uterus, such as those occurring during menstruation or labor, usually causing pain in the abdomen that may radiate to the lower back and thighs.

v.

To affect with or experience a cramp or cramps.

cramp

noun

verb (used with object)

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of cramp

cramp

noun

verb (used with object)

adjective

Origin of cramp

Examples from the Web for cramping

cramp

noun

verb

Word Origin for cramp

cramp

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for cramp

cramp

cramp

cramp

cramp

cramp

n.

v.