Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *krampôder.
Frankish *krampōder.
Proto-Germanic *krampôder.
Middle Dutch crampeder.
Old French crampebor.
Middle English crampe
English cramp
From Middle English crampe, from Old French crampe (“cramp”), from Frankish *krampa (“cramp”), from Proto-West Germanic *krampu, from Proto-Germanic *krampō (“cramp, clasp”). Distant relative of English crop.
Meanings
(archaic) cramped; narrow
[…] the result was those folio volumes of MSS. now in the British Museum, in which inquirers into the history of that period find so much interesting material in such a confused state and in such a dreadfully cramp handwriting. 1871, David Masson, The Life of John Milton:
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *krampôder.
Frankish *krampōder.
Proto-Germanic *krampôder.
Middle Dutch crampeder.
Old French crampebor.
Middle English crampe
English cramp
From Middle English crampe, from Old French crampe (“cramp”), from Frankish *krampa (“cramp”), from Proto-West Germanic *krampu, from Proto-Germanic *krampō (“cramp, clasp”). Distant relative of English crop.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) A painful contraction of a muscle which cannot be controlled; (sometimes) a similar pain even without noticeable contraction.
He retired hurt at 31 due to a leg cramp.
August 1534, Margaret Roper (or Thomas More in her name), letter to Alice Alington
the cramp also that divers nights gripeth him in his legs.
(countable, uncountable) That which confines or contracts.
How does it grate upon his thankleſs ear, / Crippling his pleaſures with the cramp of fear! 1781 (date written), William Cowper, “Truth”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1782, →OCLC, page 96:
A narrow Fortune is undoubtedly a Cramp to a great Mind. 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC:
(countable, uncountable) A clamp for carpentry or masonry.
(countable, uncountable) A piece of wood having a curve corresponding to that of the upper part of the instep, on which the upper leather of a boot is stretched to give it the requisite shape.
mi kohukohu (painful contraction of a muscle) · ceb kalambre (painful contraction of a muscle) · arn trekefün (painful contraction of a muscle) · sv kramp (painful contraction of a muscle) · ang hramma (painful contraction of a muscle) · tr kramp (painful contraction of a muscle) · az qıc (painful contraction of a muscle) · fi lihaskramppi (painful contraction of a muscle) · eo kramfo (painful contraction of a muscle) · th ตะคริว (painful contraction of a muscle) · ro crampă (painful contraction of a muscle) · pag alibuegbueg (painful contraction of a muscle) · pdt Kraump (painful contraction of a muscle) · nl kramp (painful contraction of a muscle) · az qıclıq (painful contraction of a muscle) · es rampa (painful contraction of a muscle) · gl cambra (painful contraction of a muscle) · am መሸማቀቅ (painful contraction of a muscle) · sh grč (painful contraction of a muscle) · sh spazam (painful contraction of a muscle) · it stampo (piece of wood used to shape boot) · pag kelat (painful contraction of a muscle) · ja 痙攣 (painful contraction of a muscle) · be сутарга (painful contraction of a muscle) · gl breca (painful contraction of a muscle) · sq ngërth (painful contraction of a muscle) · gl forma (piece of wood used to shape boot) · fi kouristus (painful contraction of a muscle) · fi suonenveto (painful contraction of a muscle) · ru спазм (painful contraction of a muscle) · gl encorpia (piece of wood used to shape boot) · fr crampe (painful contraction of a muscle) · es calambre (painful contraction of a muscle) · nn krampe (painful contraction of a muscle) · vi chuột rút (painful contraction of a muscle) · it crampo (painful contraction of a muscle) · ca rampa (painful contraction of a muscle) · mi kokohu (painful contraction of a muscle) · vec sgranf (painful contraction of a muscle) · fi rajoite (restraint, hindrance) · mi kaurapa (painful contraction of a muscle) · hil palaminhod (painful contraction of a muscle) · nb krampe (painful contraction of a muscle) · lt mėšlungis (painful contraction of a muscle) · war banhod (painful contraction of a muscle) · bg схващане (painful contraction of a muscle) · cmn 抽筋(兒) /抽筋 (painful contraction of a muscle) · la pnix (painful contraction of a muscle) · mi uhu (painful contraction of a muscle) · war bikog (painful contraction of a muscle) · pl skurcz (painful contraction of a muscle) · gl encospia (piece of wood used to shape boot) · ga féith-chrapadh (painful contraction of a muscle) · hu görcs (painful contraction of a muscle) · uk судо́ма (painful contraction of a muscle) · de Krampf (painful contraction of a muscle) · sk kŕč (painful contraction of a muscle) · hil palamusug (painful contraction of a muscle) · pag polikat (painful contraction of a muscle) · cs křeč (painful contraction of a muscle) · mi hakoko (painful contraction of a muscle) · es acalambramiento (painful contraction of a muscle) · ar تَشَنُّج (painful contraction of a muscle) · mi parerori (painful contraction of a muscle) · sl krč (painful contraction of a muscle) · vec sgranfo (painful contraction of a muscle) · war kalambre (painful contraction of a muscle) · it calco (piece of wood used to shape boot) · ar شَدٌّ عَضَلِيّ (painful contraction of a muscle) · ro cârcel (painful contraction of a muscle) · fi lesti (piece of wood used to shape boot) · it forma (piece of wood used to shape boot) · hil duklong (painful contraction of a muscle) · ru су́дорога (painful contraction of a muscle) · el κράμπα (painful contraction of a muscle) · ko 쥐 (painful contraction of a muscle) · tl pulikat (painful contraction of a muscle) · mi uauawhiti (painful contraction of a muscle) · ilo betteg (painful contraction of a muscle) · hil busug (painful contraction of a muscle) · fi kramppi (painful contraction of a muscle) · es arratonamiento (painful contraction of a muscle) · ms kejangan (painful contraction of a muscle) · bg спазъм (painful contraction of a muscle) · kea kaiambra (painful contraction of a muscle) · pt cãibra (painful contraction of a muscle) · yue 抽筋 (painful contraction of a muscle) · mi kuiki (painful contraction of a muscle) · fi este (restraint, hindrance) · vi vọp bẻ (painful contraction of a muscle) · id kejang (painful contraction of a muscle) · bcl kalambre (painful contraction of a muscle) · be спазма (painful contraction of a muscle) · id keram (painful contraction of a muscle)
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *krampôder.
Frankish *krampōder.
Proto-Germanic *krampôder.
Middle Dutch crampeder.
Old French crampebor.
Middle English crampe
English cramp
From Middle English crampe, from Old French crampe (“cramp”), from Frankish *krampa (“cramp”), from Proto-West Germanic *krampu, from Proto-Germanic *krampō (“cramp, clasp”). Distant relative of English crop.
Meanings
(intransitive) (of a muscle) To contract painfully and uncontrollably.
(transitive) To affect with cramps or spasms.
The collar of the tunic scratched my neck, the steel helmet made my head ache, and the puttees cramped my leg muscles. 1936, Heinrich Hauser, Once Your Enemy (translated from the German by Norman Gullick)
(figuratively, transitive) To prohibit movement or expression of.
You're cramping my style.
But the front of the animal , which was in full , was narrow and cramped , and unequal in dignity to the side 1853, Austen Henry Layard, Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon:
(transitive) To restrain to a specific physical position, as if with a cramp.
when the gout cramps my joints 1633, John Ford, Perkin Warbeck:
You're going to need to cramp the wheels on this hill.
To fasten or hold with, or as if with, a cramp iron.
(broadly) To bind together; to unite.
The […] fabric of universal justice is well cramped and bolted together in all its parts. 1780, Edmund Burke, Principles in Politics:
bg схващам се (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · it contrarre (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · ms mengejang (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · sh ukočiti (to restrain to a specific physical position) · fi krampata (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · fi rajoittaa (to prohibit movement or expression) · id kejang (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · bg хващам със скоба (to restrain to a specific physical position) · hu gátol (to prohibit movement or expression) · ru фикси́ровать (to restrain to a specific physical position) · ro se crispa (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · id keram (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · it atrofizzare (to prohibit movement or expression) · it paralizzare (to prohibit movement or expression) · fi vetää suonta (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · fi kouristaa (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · ru своди́ть судорогой (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · bg преча (to prohibit movement or expression) · ru стеснять (to prohibit movement or expression) · it bloccare (to prohibit movement or expression) · ja 攣る (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · sh grčiti se (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · uk зводити (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · bg парализирам (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · mi hui (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · ru ограни́чивать (to prohibit movement or expression) · it paralizzare (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · hu görcsöl (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · es encalambrarse (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · it limitare (to restrain to a specific physical position) · uk звести (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · it inibire (to prohibit movement or expression) · mi parerori (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · de krampfen (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · es acalambrarse (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · hu bénít (to prohibit movement or expression) · es arratonarse (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · mn татах (to contract painfully and uncontrollably) · bg спъвам (to prohibit movement or expression) · fi lukita (to restrain to a specific physical position) · es coartar (to prohibit movement or expression)