cling
1
[ kling ]
/ klɪŋ /
verb (used without object), clung, cling·ing.
to adhere closely; stick to: The wet paper clings to the glass.
to hold tight, as by grasping or embracing; cleave: The children clung to each other in the dark.
to be or remain close: The child clung to her mother's side.
to remain attached, as to an idea, hope, memory, etc.: Despite the predictions, the candidate clung to the belief that he would be elected.
to cohere.
noun
the act of clinging; adherence; attachment.
Origin of cling
1
before 900; Middle English
clingen, Old English
clingan to stick together, shrink, wither; akin to
clench
OTHER WORDS FROM cling
cling·er, noun cling·ing·ly, adverb cling·ing·ness, noun un·cling·ing, adjectiveWords nearby cling
Example sentences from the Web for clinging
British Dictionary definitions for clinging
cling
/ (klɪŋ) /
verb clings, clinging or clung (intr)
(often foll by to)
to hold fast or adhere closely (to something), as by gripping or sticking
(foll by together)
to remain in contact (with each other)
to be or remain physically or emotionally close
to cling to outmoded beliefs
noun
agriculture, mainly US
the tendency of cotton fibres in a sample to stick to each other
agriculture obsolete
diarrhoea or scouring in animals
short for clingstone
Derived forms of cling
Word Origin for cling
Old English
clingan; related to
clench