clamp-down

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Definitions of clamp-down word

noun clamp-down a device, usually of some rigid material, for strengthening or supporting objects or fastening them together. 1
noun clamp-down an appliance with opposite sides or parts that may be adjusted or brought closer together to hold or compress something. 1
noun clamp-down one of a pair of movable pieces, made of lead or other soft material, for covering the jaws of a vise and enabling it to grasp without bruising. 1
noun clamp-down Also called clamp rail. Carpentry. a rail having a groove or a number of mortises for receiving the ends of a number of boards to bind them into a flat piece, as a drawing board or door. 1
noun clamp-down Nautical. a horizontal timber in a wooden hull, secured to ribs to support deck beams and to provide longitudinal strength. mast clamp. 1
verb with object clamp-down to fasten with or fix in a clamp. 1

before 1350

One of the 20% oldest English words

1350-1400; Middle English (noun) < Middle Dutch clampe clamp, cleat; cognate with Middle Low German klampe

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".