clench

From Middle English clenchen, from Old English clenċan (“to clinch; hold fast”), a variant of Old English clenġan (“to adhere; remain”), from Proto-Germanic *klangijaną, causative of Proto-Germanic *klinganą (“to stick; adhere”). Related to cling.

• IPA^(key): /klɛntʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɛntʃ

clench (plural clenches)

1. Tight grip.
2. (engineering) A seal that is applied to formed thin-wall bushings.
3. A local chapter of the Church of the SubGenius parody religion.
   • 1989, Ted Schultz, The Fringes of Reason, page 210:

     And perhaps most innovative of all, Drummond and Stang pushed for a policy of clench autonomy […]

   • 2003, Peter Knight, Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia, page 170:

     Every SubGenius clench is required to have a member who does not believe […]

   • 2012, George D. Chryssides, Historical Dictionary of New Religious Movements, page 95:

     Originality is encouraged, and some clenches have devised their own distinctive organizational names […]

clench (third-person singular simple present clenches, present participle clenching, simple past and past participle clenched)

1. To squeeze; to grip or hold tightly.

   He clenched his fist in anger.

• (grip or hold tightly): clasp, clutch, grip; See also Thesaurus:grasp

• unclench

• clinch

• clench at OneLook Dictionary Search
• clench in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.