Forms: α. 3–6 cloke, β. Sc. 4– cluke, (5 clucke, 5– cluik, 7–8 clook, 8– cleuk). γ. 3–6 cloche, 6–7 clooch. δ. 5–6 clowch(e, 6–7 clouche, cloutch, 7 clowtch. ε. 7– clutch. [A word, or train of words, of difficult history. The earliest form exemplified is ME. clōke, Sc. clūke, of which the normal modern form would be clook. Of this, ME. clōche, 17th c. clooch (rhyme brooch), appears to be a palatalized southern form; but the conditions of the origin of this and clowtch, clouch (rhyme pouch), are obscure. Clutch, which since the 17th c. has superseded the other forms (exc. dial. cloke, clook, cluke), came in apparently from the verb CLUTCH, q.v. It is to be noticed that with the obsolescence of the earlier forms, the original literal sense of ‘claw’ also disappeared, and the senses now in use are mainly those of a noun of action from the verb.
For ME. clōk(e, normally we should expect an OE. *clóc, clóce. But, as under BROOK v. we see a ME. brōke (beside brouk), from OE. brúcan, so here, ME. clōke (? beside *clouke) may represent an OE. *clûc or clûce. This would represent an OTeut. *klûka- or klûkôn-, a deriv. of the vb. root *kluk-, kleuk-, whence came *klukjan, OE. clycc(e)an, CLITCH, CLUTCH. Thus clōke would be ultimately related to these verbs. As we cannot on any phonetic principles explain the palatalized forms clōche, clooch, cloutch, it seems probable that these were produced by the influence of the vb. clucche, clutch, upon the sb. clōke, *clouk, and that the sb. was thus brought gradually in form and sense into direct identification with the verb, as we see, under the verb, that the latter has also been brought in sense into closer association with the sb.]
1. The claw of a beast or bird of prey, or of a fiend: mostly in pl. claws, talons, paws. Also contemptuously of a human hand: cf. paw.
α. cloke. now dial.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 130. Uorte huden hire vrom his kene clokes. Ibid., 102, 174.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 6936. Vermyn … In þam fest þair clokes full depe.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 792. Syche buffetez he [the bear] hym rechez with hys brode klokes.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 324 (Mätz.). Fro dede you kleke in kloke.
1883. Huddersf. Gloss., Cloke, the nail or claw of a cat.
β. cluke, cluik, cleuk (klük, klök). Chiefly Sc.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, Egipciane, 1414. With þi clukis.
c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fables, 14. Syne by the clucke there craftelie [the mouse] can hing.
1500–20. Dunbar, Fenȝeit Freir, 118. Had he reveild bene to the rwikis, Thay had him revin all with thair clwikis.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. ix. 82. The egill … Within hys bowand clukis had vp clawcht A ȝong signet.
1530. Lyndesay, Test. Papyngo, 1169. The gled the pece claucht in his cluke.
1641. Witts Recreations, Epit. M. Mar-Prel. (1654) (N.). The devil has him fanged In his kruked klukes [rhyme bukes].
1777. Poems Buchan Dialect (1785), 12 (Jam.). Can well agree wi’ his cair cleuck.
1868. G. Macdonald, R. Falconer, I. 101. I never had sic a combination … atween my cleuks afore.
† γ. cloches, clooches. Obs.
a. 1300. Body & Soul, 365, Map’s Poems (Wright), 338. Thei haddin on hym leyd here scharpe cloches alle tho.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. Prol. 154. He [cat] wil … Cracche vs, or clowe vs, and in his cloches holde.
1413. Lydg., Pilgr. Sowle, I. xxii. (1859), 28. Fro the cloches … of Sathanas.
1589. Fleming, Virg. Georg., I. 2. Now scortching Scorpius draweth in his armes [or crooked clooches].
† δ. clowch, clouch, clowtch. Obs.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 503 (in Babees Bk.). Cast it not in youre clowche [rhyme-wd. sowche].
1604. T. Wright, Passions, V. § 4. 277. Who shal keepe lands or livings vnder the clowches of such ravinous Kytes and devouryng Cormorants?
1607. Topsell, Serpents (1653), 769. Ox-flies and Brimsees … whatsoever they lay their clowtches on, that they hold fast.
ε. clutch (rare).
1655. R. Fanshaw, Camoens’ Lusiad, iii. 6. That Zone where Cancer bends his clutch.
2. The hand, or more commonly in pl. ‘hands in a sense of rapacity and cruelty’ (J.). In the expressions in, into, out of his clutches, the sense has since the 17th c. gradually passed from ‘claws, grasping hands,’ to ‘grips, grasp, tight-hold’ as in 3. The singular, ‘in his clutch,’ has even more completely passed from ‘claw’ to ‘grasp.’
α. 1526. Skelton, Magnyf., 1900. Who is yonder that grymly lokys? Fansy. Adewe, for I wyll not come in his clokys.
β. a. 1693. Sc. Presb. Eloq. (1738), 114. At last I got you out of his clooks.
γ. 1586. J. Hooker, Girald. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 142/1. The earle hauing the gouernor … within his clooches.
1600. W. Watson, Quodlibets Relig. & State (1602), 32. If euer they get me within their clooches.
δ. [c. 1430. Hermes Bird, xlviii. in Ashm. (1652), 233. In Chorles clowchys com y never more.]
a. 1535. More, Wks., ii. (R.). I haue thee in my clouche [rhyme pouche].
1563–83. Foxe, A. & M., 1703. Good Samuell … mekely yeelded himselfe into their clouches.
1587. Lett., 28 Aug., in Harl. MS. 296. 46. If the flete of the Peru … fall in Dracke’s clowches.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. x. 20. Too wise … to come into his clouch again.
1642. J. Taylor, God’s Judgem., I. II. i. 153. A cruell and ougly shaped divell, striving … to get into his clouches a yong man.
ε. 1602. Shaks., Ham., V. i. 80. But Age … hath caught me in his clutch.
1647. Milton, Ch. Discip., II. (1851), 67. From the greasie clutch of ignorance and high feeding. Ibid. (1650), Lett. State (1851), 264. To get her again into his Clutches.
1656. H. More, Antid. Ath., I. viii. (1712), 23. Gigantick Spirits … who … might take the Plannets up in their prodigious Clutches.
1676. Stillingfl., Def. Disc. Rom. Idol., 786 (J.). If I ever more come near the Clutches of such a Giant.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. ii. 1202. Before ’t was in your clutches power.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Fables, 2 (J.). It was the hard Fortune of a Cock, to fall into the Clutches of a Cat.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 25, ¶ 4. [He] escapes the Clutches of the Hangman.
1741. Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. xxxi. 50. I had got out of his clutches.
1818. Cruise, Digest, III. 223. It was left to the clutches of the law.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., IV. xviii. 143. Wulf fell into William’s clutches.
b. dial. (see quot.)
1877. N. W. Lincolnsh. Gloss., Clutch, a handful: ‘a clutch of bread is all I want.’
3. Tight grip or grasp; the act of clutching. See in his clutch, from 16th c., in 2. Quot. 1661 may mean ‘hand.’
[c. 1661. Characters (T.). For fear his dirty clutch should grease it.]
1784. Cowper, Task, V. 317. And force the beggarly last doit … from the clutch of Poverty.
1835. Marryat, Jac. Faithf., xvii. I can’t hold on ten seconds more … my clutch is going now.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., V. XIX. v. 509. Boscawen got clutch of the Toulon fleet.
1878. Browning, Poets Croisic, 13. If any loosed her clutch.
4. An act of grasping at, a sudden and violent attempt to seize.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., I. iii. It was all an expiring clutch at popularity.
1860. Froude, Hist. Eng., VI. 35. After one violent clutch at his beard.
1878. P. Bayne, Purit. Rev., iv. 133. To make a clutch at the military force in Scotland.
b. Within clutch: = within reach of one’s grasp.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. III. vii. When the golden fruit seemed within clutch.
† 5. A clutch-fist, a miser. Obs.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Taylor’s Motto, Wks. II. 54/1. A hard-hearted miserable Clutch.
6. a. Mech. A coupling for throwing the working parts into or out of action at will.
1814. R. Buchanan, Mill Work (1823), 413. Couplings which have no coupling boxes are denominated clutches or glands.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 360/1. Clutches are arranged to throw the working parts into and out of gear as required.
1882. Mechan. World, 4 March, 136/1. The circumstances under which clutches are employed are very various.
b. A mechanical contrivance with two hooked arms for clipping or clutching the bodies to be lifted by a crane, etc.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., 579/1. A gripper … in the foundry-crane, whose clutches take hold of two gudgeons in the centers of the ends of the flask.
c. Naut. = CRUTCH.
c. 1850. Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 113. Crutches or clutches, the crooked timbers fayed and bolted upon the foot-waling abaft, for the security of the heels of the half-timbers.
7. Comb. clutch-fist, a miser; also a., miserly; clutch-fisted a.; clutch-box (from sense 6), a box-shaped clutch in which one cylindrical piece of metal interlocks with a counterpart.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, III. 1176. Thrown in and out of gear by a *clutch-box and lever.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 397/2. (Cotton-Spinning) When the carriage has reached the extremity of the stretch, it comes in contact with a projection … which … disengages the clutch-boxes.
a. 1643. W. Cartwright, Ordinary, II. i. An old rich *clutch-fist knight.
1635. Austin, Medit., 289. Though we are Borne *Clutch-fisted, When we die We spread our Palmes, and let the World slip by.
c. 1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Clutchfisted, the same as Close-fisted.
