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# clamp

«clamp» in Mova's school dictionary: **A tool that holds two things tightly together or holds…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a clamp, clamps); verb (clamp, clamps, clamped, clamping)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (noun) A tool that holds two things tightly together or holds something firmly in place, often by turning a screw. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#m1)

2) (verb) To hold something tightly with a clamp, or to grip firmly: "He clamped his hand over his mouth." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#m2)

3) (verb, UK) To fix a metal lock (a wheel clamp) on a car's wheel so it cannot be driven, as a punishment for bad parking. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#m3)

4) (clamp down) To act strongly to stop something: "The school is clamping down on phones." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#m4)

5) To clamp can also mean to pile turf into a stack to dry or store it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons a clamp on a stand holds test tubes or burettes steady. In design and technology clamps hold wood while glue dries or while you saw. In stories, characters clamp their mouths shut, or clamp their hands over their ears. In news "clamp down on" means a strict new rule. Phrases: clamp down on, wheel clamp, clamp shut.

### examples

- Use a clamp to hold the wood while the glue dries. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#x1)
- The test tube was held in a clamp on the stand. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#x2)
- She clamped her hands over her ears at the loud noise. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#x3)
- The car was clamped for parking in the wrong place. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#x4)
- The school is clamping down on bad language. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#x5)
- The crab clamped its claw onto my finger! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#x6)
- Next day Jack was to go clamp turf on the bog. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/#x7)

### note

Past: clamped. "Clamp down on" (strict action) is a phrasal verb. Safety in technology lessons: always clamp your work before sawing or drilling, never hold it in your hand.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «clamp» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clamp/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.