crutch

[ kruhch ]

/ krʌtʃ /

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.

a forked support for a boom or spar when not in use.
a forked support for an oar on the sides or stern of a rowboat.
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.

Nearby words

crustal plate, crusted, crustose, crusty, crut, crutch, crutched friar, crutchings, crutzen, cruveilhier, cruveilhier's disease

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 forms

crutch·like, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
“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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
If only he might throw away the crutch and walk with a cane, it would be something gained.
The Eye of Dread|Payne Erskine
Old Jonas P. Lonergan, his crutch beside him, is lying comfortably in another lounging chair.
Frances of the Ranges|Amy Bell Marlowe
But hes getting on wonderfully and the doctors think hell soon be able to walk a little—with a crutch, of course.
Adrienne Toner|Anne Douglas Sedgwick
Mother Mitchel, with her crutch for a baton, saw them all placed in her storerooms upon shelves put up for the purpose.
The Children's Book of Thanksgiving Stories|Various
I could get no information at first, but at length an old woman came slowly forward, leaning on a crutch.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 4, September, 1850|Various

British Dictionary definitions for crutch

crutch

/ (krʌtʃ) /

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

a forked support for a boom or oar, etc
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

Medicine definitions for crutch

crutch

[ krŭch ]

n.

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.