Etymology : Middle English crucche, from Old English crycc; akin to Old High German krucka crutch
Pronunciation : 'kr&ch
Function : noun
Date : before 12th century
1. wooden or metal staff used to help a lame person walk; support, prop. crutchsee under crotchcrutch \crutch\ (krŭch; 224), n.; pl. crutches (-&ebreve;z). [oe. crucche, as. crycc, cricc; akin to d. kruk, g. krücke, dan. krykke, sw. krycka, and to e. crook. see:
crook, and cf. cricket a low stool.].
2. a staff with a crosspiece at the head, to be placed under the arm or shoulder, to support the lame or infirm in walking. i'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the other. rhyme is a crutch that lifts the weak alone. smith.
3. a form of pommel for a woman's saddle, consisting of a forked rest to hold the leg of the rider.
4. (naut.) (a) a knee, or piece of knee timber. (b) a forked stanchion or post; a crotch. see:
crotch.crutch \crutch\, v. t. to support on crutches; to prop up. [r.] two fools that crutch their feeble sense on verse.
5. A staff with a crosspiece at the head, to be placed under the arm or shoulder, to support the lame or infirm in walking.
6. A form of pommel for a woman's saddle, consisting of a forked rest to hold the leg of the rider.
7. A knee, or piece of knee timber A forked stanchion or post; a crotch.
8. See Crotch.
9. To support on crutches; to prop up. anything that serves as an expedient; "he uses drugs as a psychological crutch" a wooden or metal staff that fits under the armpit and reaches to the ground; used by disabled person while walking.
10. 1. A crutch is a stick whose top fits round or under the user's arm, which someone with an injured foot or leg uses to support their weight when walking. I can walk without the aid of crutches I was on crutches for a while.
11. If you refer to someone or something as a crutch, you mean that they give you help or support. He gave up the crutch of alcohol.
12. Your crutch is the same as your crotch. He kicked him in the crutch.