cramp

cramp

¹

1. a painful involuntary contraction of a muscle, typically caused by overexertion, heat, or chill

2. temporary partial paralysis of a muscle group

3. severe abdominal pain

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cramp

²

1. a strip of metal with its ends bent at right angles, used to bind masonry

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

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

cramp

[kramp]

(design engineering)

A metal plate with bent ends used to hold blocks together.

(medicine)

Painful, involuntary contraction of a muscle, such as a leg or foot cramp that may occur in normal individuals at night or in swimming.

Any cramplike pain, as of the intestine, or that accompanying dysmenorrhea.

Spasm of certain muscles, which may be intermittent or constant, from excessive use.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

cramp

cramp, 1

1. A U-shaped metal fastening to hold adjacent units of masonry together, as in a

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.