clinging vine
noun Informal.
a person who behaves in a helpless and dependent manner in relationships with others.
Origin of clinging vine
An Americanism dating back to 1960–65
Words nearby clinging vine
cline,
cling,
cling peach,
clingfilm,
clingfish,
clinging vine,
clingmans dome,
clingstone,
clingy,
clinic,
clinical
Example sentences from the Web for clinging vine
British Dictionary definitions for clinging vine
clinging vine
noun
US and Canadian informal
a woman who displays excessive emotional dependence on a man
Idioms and Phrases with clinging vine
clinging vine
An overly dependent person, as in A clinging vine since her marriage, she's never made a decision on her own. Nearly always applied to a woman (or wife), this metaphor for a climbing plant today criticizes dependency rather than, as in former times, praising the vine's fruitfulness.