cramp

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kræmp/
• American: kramp

Origin

From Middle Dutch krampe or Middle Low German krampe, meaning "hook, buckle, clasp"

Meanings

1. (noun) A sudden, involuntary, and painful contraction of a muscle

   • "She got a cramp in her leg while swimming."

2. (noun) A restrictive or limiting influence

   • "The lack of funding put a cramp in their research plans."

3. (verb) To restrict or limit something

   • "The small office space cramped their ability to hire more staff."

4. (verb) To cause muscular spasms or contraction

   • "His calf muscles cramped during the marathon."

Related Words

• Forms:

  • cramped (adjective)
  • cramping (gerund/present participle)
  • cramps (plural noun)

• Synonyms:

  • (noun) spasm, contraction, crick, twinge
  • (verb) confine, restrict, constrain, hinder

Memory Tricks

• Think of the word "C-Restricting AMPlitude" - muscles become restricted in movement
• Visualize a C-shaped muscle that's being squeezed (RAMPed up in tension)
• Remember the phrase "Can't Run After Muscle Pain"

Common Collocations

• muscle cramp
• stomach cramps
• writer's cramp
• menstrual cramps
• cramp up