CRAMP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cramp mean? 

• CRAMP (noun)
  The noun CRAMP has 3 senses:

1. a painful and involuntary muscular contraction

2. a clamp for holding pieces of wood together while they are glued

3. a strip of metal with ends bent at right angles; used to hold masonry together

  Familiarity information: CRAMP used as a noun is uncommon.

• CRAMP (verb)
  The verb CRAMP has 4 senses:

1. secure with a cramp

2. prevent the progress or free movement of

3. affect with or as if with a cramp

4. suffer from sudden painful contraction of a muscle

  Familiarity information: CRAMP used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CRAMP (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A painful and involuntary muscular contraction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

cramp; muscle spasm; spasm

Hypernyms ("cramp" is a kind of...):

symptom ((medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cramp"):

charley-horse; charley horse (a muscular cramp (especially in the thigh or calf) following vigorous exercise)

graphospasm; writer's cramp (muscular spasms of thumb and forefinger while writing with a pen or pencil)

blepharospasm (spasm of the eyelid muscle resulting in closure of the eye)

crick; kink; rick; wrick (a painful muscle spasm especially in the neck or back ('rick' and 'wrick' are British))

myoclonus (a clonic spasm of a muscle or muscle group)

opisthotonos (severe spasm in which the back arches and the head bends back and heels flex toward the back)

twitch; twitching; vellication (a sudden muscle spasm; especially one caused by a nervous condition)

tenesmus (painful spasm of the anal sphincter along with an urgent desire to defecate without the significant production of feces; associated with irritable bowel syndrome)

trismus (prolonged spasm of the jaw muscles)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A clamp for holding pieces of wood together while they are glued

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("cramp" is a kind of...):

clamp; clinch (a device (generally used by carpenters) that holds things firmly together)

Derivation:

cramp (secure with a cramp)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A strip of metal with ends bent at right angles; used to hold masonry together

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

cramp; cramp iron

Hypernyms ("cramp" is a kind of...):

slip; strip (artifact consisting of a narrow flat piece of material)

Derivation:

cramp (secure with a cramp)

• CRAMP (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they cramp    ... he / she / it cramps   
Past simple: cramped   
Past participle: cramped   
-ing form: cramping   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Secure with a cramp

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

cramp the wood

Hypernyms (to "cramp" is one way to...):

fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

cramp (a strip of metal with ends bent at right angles; used to hold masonry together)

cramp (a clamp for holding pieces of wood together while they are glued)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Prevent the progress or free movement of

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

cramp; halter; hamper; strangle

Context example:

the imperialist nation wanted to strangle the free trade between the two small countries

Hypernyms (to "cramp" is one way to...):

bound; confine; limit; restrict; throttle; trammel (place limits on (extent or amount or access))

Sentence frames:

Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Affect with or as if with a cramp

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "cramp" is one way to...):

affect (act physically on; have an effect upon)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Suffer from sudden painful contraction of a muscle

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "cramp" is one way to...):

get; have; suffer; sustain (undergo (as of injuries and illnesses))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

Symptoms of infection include: • Nausea or vomiting • Severe abdominal cramps • Watery or very bloody diarrhea • Fatigue • Fever

(E. Coli Infections, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Symptoms of food allergy include: • Itching or swelling in your mouth • Vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal cramps and pain • Hives or eczema • Tightening of the throat and trouble breathing • Drop in blood pressure

(Food Allergy, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

They include: • Upset stomach • Abdominal cramps • Nausea and vomiting • Diarrhea • Fever • Dehydration

(Foodborne Illness, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps (dull or sharp pains).

(Gastroenteritis, NCI Dictionary)

Symptoms include cramps, nausea, diarrhea, sweating, weakness, and dizziness.

(Dumping syndrome, NCI Dictionary)

Symptoms include muscle spasms and cramps in the abdomen.

(Diverticulitis, NCI Dictionary)

Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and weight loss.

(Crohn disease, NCI Dictionary)

Other symptoms include: • Dehydration • Weight loss • Stomach cramps or pain • Fever • Nausea • Vomiting

(Cryptosporidiosis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Increasing dietary fiber too quickly can lead to gas, bloating, and cramps.

(Dietary Fiber, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Others include: • Passing gas • Greasy stools • Stomach cramps • Upset stomach or nausea

(Giardia Infections, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)