crampon

Also cram·poon

[kram-pon]

noun

1. a spiked iron plate worn on boots or shoes for aid in climbing or to prevent slipping on ice, snow, etc.

2. a device for grasping and lifting heavy loads, usually consisting of a pair of hooks suspended from a chain or cable, the upward pull on which provides tension for the hooks to grip the load on opposite sides.

crampon

/ ˈkræmpən /

noun

1. one of a pair of pivoted steel levers used to lift heavy objects; grappling iron

2. (often plural) one of a pair of frames each with 10 or 12 metal spikes, strapped to boots for climbing or walking on ice or snow

verb

1. to climb using crampons

Word History and Origins

Origin of crampon¹

1275–1325; Middle English cra ( u ) mpon < Old French crampon < Old Low Franconian *krampo, cognate with Old High German krampfo, Middle Dutch crampe; cramp ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of crampon¹

C15: from French, from Middle Dutch crampe hook; see _cramp ²

Example Sentences

Battling over the icy slopes in crampons, they reached the summit in "very tough conditions" during a blizzard.

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For two months he had hiked and climbed those snow.capped peaks in the bitterest winter weather, with only his crampons and pickax for company.

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Now she knew how to use crampons and a pickax to scale a glacier, and was keenly aware of how cautious one must be around cannibals.

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The innocent-sounding words “Yes, it’s close enough to walk” can easily lure the unsuspecting tourist into an exhausting day-long climb, requiring supplemental oxygen, crampons, and a pickax.

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Whitney from this point on in the winter season should bring crampons — much larger spikes that attach firmly to mountaineering boots and dig deep into snow and ice to prevent falls – and an ice axe.

Read more on Los Angeles Times