clunch

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English

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Etymology 1

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Perhaps related to clump. Compare hump, hunch; lump, lunch, etc.

Noun

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clunch (countable and uncountable, plural clunches)

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia
  1. (UK) A traditional building material mostly made of chalk or clay.
    clunch pit
    • 1736, Charles Parkin, History of Norfolk, volume 6:
      The manor-house stands near the church, and is a large convenient old house built of clunch, stone, &c. with good gardens and walks adjoining to the river side.

Etymology 2

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Alteration of clench.

Verb

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clunch (third-person singular simple present clunches, present participle clunching, simple past and past participle clunched)

  1. (transitive) To grasp firmly; clench.
    • 1920, Nephi Anderson, The Boys of Springtown, page 15:
      As William Wallace felt the bank giving away under his feet, he clunched the other boy firmly by the arm.