crutch

[kruhch]

See more synonyms for crutch on Thesaurus.com

noun

a staff or support to assist a lame or infirm person in walking, now usually with a crosspiece at one end to fit under the armpit.
any of various devices resembling this in shape or use.
anything that serves as a temporary and often inappropriate support, supplement, or substitute; prop: He uses liquor as a psychological crutch.

a forked support or part.
the crotch of the human body.
Also crotch. Nautical.
1. a forked support for a boom or spar when not in use.
2. a forked support for an oar on the sides or stern of a rowboat.
3. a horizontal knee reinforcing the stern frames of a wooden vessel.
a forked device on the left side of a sidesaddle, consisting of two hooks, one of which is open at the bottom and serves to clamp the left knee and the other of which is open at the top and serves to support the right knee.

verb (used with object)

to support on crutches; prop; sustain.

Origin of crutch

before 900; Middle English crucche, Old English cryce (oblique crycce); cognate with Norwegian krykkja, Danish krykke, German Krücke, Dutch kruk. See crook¹

Related formscrutch·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for crutch

cane, bolster, help, buttress, prop, stick, aid, post, brace, staff

Examples from the Web for crutch

Contemporary Examples of crutch

After my crying spell stopped, I gritted my teeth, tucked my crutch under my right arm, and turned to my husband.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder
Carrie Arnold
December 20, 2014
“Sometimes swearing is a crutch that can be leaned on rather than used for emphasis,” he says.
‘Veep’ Is a F*@king Masterclass in Cursing
Kevin Fallon
April 7, 2014
Although I do love, I think that sometimes swearing is a crutch that can be leaned on rather than used for emphasis.
Veep’s Jonah Is TV’s Most Insufferable Character (But We Love Him)
Kevin Fallon
April 4, 2014
Even if it was a crutch, the Biblical language in these older writings did justice to the enormity of the forces at play.
Polar Explorer vs. Reality TV Crew: Tim Jarvis in the Footsteps of Shackleton
Darrell Hartman
January 12, 2014
In fact, Britney Jean is least enjoyable when Spears, on occasion, reverts to the Auto-Tune crutch.
Britney Spears Is the Last of the Pop Goddesses
Kevin Fallon
December 3, 2013

Historical Examples of crutch

But just as the former is not necessarily a crutch, so the latter was not necessarily a cross.
The Non-Christian Cross
John Denham Parsons
With these words he took an iron poker and fashioned it into a crutch for himself.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
How he tried all kinds of artifices, as he leaned on his crutch, and all in vain!
A Hero of Our Time
M. Y. Lermontov
The publican, who carried a stick, was drunk, and the "knocker-up" was staggering on a crutch.
The Christian
Hall Caine
The "knocker-up" lifted his crutch and with the upper end of it he battered at the dog's brains.
The Christian
Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for crutch

crutch

noun

a long staff of wood or metal having a rest for the armpit, for supporting the weight of the body
something that supports or sustainsa crutch to the economy
British another word for crotch (def. 1)
nautical
1. a forked support for a boom or oar, etc
2. a brace for reinforcing the frames at the stern of a wooden vessel

verb

(tr) to support or sustain (a person or thing) as with a crutch
Australian and NZ slang to clip (wool) from the hindquarters of a sheep

Word Origin for crutch

Old English crycc; related to Old High German krucka, Old Norse krykkja; see crosier, crook

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 crutch

Old English crycce "crutch, staff," from Proto-Germanic *krukjo (cf. Old Saxon krukka, Middle Dutch crucke, Old High German krucka, German Kröcke "crutch," related to Old Norse krokr "hook;" see crook). Figurative sense is first recorded c.1600. As a verb, from 1640s. Italian gruccia "crutch," crocco "hook" are Germanic loan-words.

crutch in Medicine

crutch

[krŭch]

A staff or support used by a physically injured or disabled individual as an aid in walking, usually designed to fit under the armpit and often used in pairs.