Also 6 clinche, Sc. clynsch, 7 clinsh. [A later variant of CLENCH v.1; perh. only phonetic, but more prob. by assimilation of clench to the northern form CLINK, found a century earlier. To a great extent it is a simple synonym of clench, but at present there is a tendency to differentiate them in use, clench being alone used in certain senses (e.g., of the fist, the teeth, etc.), while clinch is at least the more common in others; see below.]
1. trans. To fix (a nail or bolt) securely, esp. by bending and beating back or flattening the point or end which has passed through a plank or plate of any kind; to make fast by such means. Also absol. Sometimes CLENCH.
1570. Levins, Manip., 134/33. To clinche, clingere, stringere.
1610. Markham, Masterp., II. xcvi. 384. Clinshed as other nailes be.
a. 1625. Fletcher, Love’s Cure, II. i. Thou hast hit the nail on the head, and I will give the six pots for’t, though I ne’er clinch shoe again.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., III. x. 175. Knocking in the nail overnight, and clinching it the next morning.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 248. To clinch the Nails.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Clinch … is to batter or rivet a bolt’s end upon a ring or piece of plate iron; or to turn back the point of a nail that it may hold fast.
1883. Ld. Fitzgerald, in Law Rep. 8 Appeal Cases, 453. The girder which was clinched into the plaintiff’s party-wall.
† 2. To clasp, interlock, esp. to clasp (the hands) tightly together with the fingers interlocked. Obs.
1591. Percyvall, Sp. Dict., Enclavijar los dedos, to clinch the hands with the fingers one betweene another.
a. 1701. Sedley, Poems, Wks. 1722, I. 32. Or dully hang, clinch’d in each others Feet [of bees].
† b. To close tightly (the hand or fist). Obs. Now always CLENCH.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. iii. I. iii. (1651), 193. Like her … that supposed she could shake all the world with her finger, and was afraid to clinch her hand together.
1632. Sherwood, To clinch the fist, serrer le poing.
1727. Swift, Gulliver, I. vi. 66. With my fist clinched.
1802. Med. Jrnl., VIII. 405. The patient … would … strike … her head and breast with her hands clinched.
† c. intr. (for refl.). Of the hands, etc. Obs.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. xiii. 222. When I spoke the Words, my Hands would clinch together, and my fingers press the Palms of my Hands.
d. intr. To close and struggle at close grips. (Now U.S. Cf. CLINCH sb.1 5.)
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 186. Toes that clinch together.
1860. O. W. Holmes, Elsie V. (1887), 39. The rough-and-tumble fighters all clinch.
3. trans. Naut. To make fast the end of a rope in a particular way: see CLINCH sb. 2.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1789), Etalinguer, to clinch the cable to it’s anchor.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk.
4. intr. To fix oneself, fasten on.
1793. trans. Buffon’s Hist. Birds, vi. 165 (T.). The savages held out a stick on which the birds clinched.
5. trans. To make firm and sure (a matter, assertion, argument, bargain, etc.); to drive home; to make conclusive, confirm, establish. Also CLENCH.
a. 1716. South, Serm., VII. vii. (R.). The council of Trent … clincheth the business as effectually as possible.
1728. Vanbr. & Cib., Prov. Husb., IV. i. How stands your Affair with Miss? C. Bas. It drives like a Nail, we want nothing now but a Parson, to clinch it.
1786. Mrs. A. M. Bennet, Juvenile Indiscr., I. 90. No man … knew better how to clinch a good bargain in his dealings.
1868. E. Edwards, Ralegh, I. x. 198. He clinches this argument by drawing a terrible picture.
1871. Freeman, Hist. Ess., Ser. I. xi. 366. They clinched, as it were, the whole matter.
† 6. trans. To secure, make fast. Obs. rare. (Cf. nail.)
1803. Nelson, 18 Oct., in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), V. 252. If he offers his services you may be sure I will then clinch him for Mrs. Nelson’s brother.
1648. News fr. Pembroke, in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793), 384. I have given you Dr. Wall’s place, for the weakest goes to the wall; you must give me leave to clinch, for those that have no wit must be content with clinches.
a. 1688. Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Adv. Painter, Wks. 1705, II. 82. Let ’em all clinch round.
¶ Combinations containing the vb.-stem, see at end of CLINCH sb.1 8.
