clamber
/ˈklæmbɚ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.22 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To climb (something) with some difficulty, or in a haphazard fashion.
noun
The act of clambering; a difficult or haphazard climb.
Example Sentences
- "The children clambered over the jungle gym."
- "Now, neither for his harp, nor quiuer, cares: / Him ſelfe debaſing, beares the corded ſnares; / Or leades the dogs, or clambers mountaines; led / By lordly Loue, and flames by cuſtome fed."
- "Then ſaid the Shepherds, Thoſe that you ſee lie daſhed in pieces at the bottom of this Mountain, are they: and they have continued to this day unburied (as you ſee) for an example to others to take heed how they clamber too high, or how they come too near the brink of this Mountain."
- "The worn-out Lawyer clambers to the bench / That he may live at eaſe, and keep his wench; [...]"
- "She threaded the narrow path, she passed the gloomy vineyard that clambers up the rock, and gained the lofty spot, green with moss and luxuriant foliage, where the dust of him [Virgil] who yet soothes and elevates the minds of men is believed to rest."
- "And scarce did manlier nerve uphold / The hero Zal in that fond hour, / Than wings the youth who, fleet and bold, / Now climbs the rocks to Hinda's bower. / See—light as up their granite steeps / The rock-goats of Arabia clamber, / Fearless from crag to crag he leaps, / And now is in the maiden's chamber."
Etymology
From Middle English clambren, clameren, clemeren (“to climb, clamber; to crawl, creep”), then either: * possibly from clam, clamb, clemb, past tense of climben (“to climb, get over; to ascend, rise”), and influenced by Old English clæmman (“to press”); or * from Old English *clambrian, from Proto-Germanic *klambrōną or *klambizōną. The English word is cognate with Low German klemmern, klempern (“to climb”), Scots clammer (“to clamber”); and compare also Danish klamre (“to cling”), Icelandic klambra, klembra (“to pinch closely together; clamp”), Swedish klamra (“to cling”). The noun is derived from the verb.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: clambren, clæmman, *clambrian, *klambrōną
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈklæmbɚ/
- British English: /ˈklæmbə/