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crutch

[ kruhch ]
/ krʌtʃ /
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See synonyms for: crutch / crutched / crutching on Thesaurus.com

noun
verb (used with object)
to support on crutches; prop; sustain.
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Origin of crutch

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

OTHER WORDS FROM crutch

crutchlike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use crutch in a sentence

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
  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
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