CLUTCH, verb transitive 1. To double in the fingers and pinch or compress them together; to clinch. [If n is not radical in clinch, this may be from the same root.] 2. To seize, clasp or gripe with the hand; as, to clutch a dagger; to clutch prey. 3. To seize, or grasp; as, to clutch the globe at a grasp. CLUTCH, noun A griping or pinching with the fingers; seizure; grasp.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI