Cling
[klɪŋ]
Definition
(noun.) fruit (especially peach) whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit.
(verb.) hold on tightly or tenaciously; 'hang on to your father's hands'; 'The child clung to his mother's apron'.
(verb.) come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation; 'The dress clings to her body'; 'The label stuck to the box'; 'The sushi rice grains cohere'.
(verb.) to remain emotionally or intellectually attached; 'He clings to the idea that she might still love him.'.
Checked by Elisha--From WordNet
Definition
(v. i.) To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast, especially by twining round or embracing; as, the tendril of a vine clings to its support; -- usually followed by to or together.
(v. t.) To cause to adhere to, especially by twining round or embracing.
(v. t.) To make to dry up or wither.
(n.) Adherence; attachment; devotion.
Typist: Lucinda
Synonyms and Synonymous
v. n. Adhere, hold, stick, cleave, be attached, hold fast.
Edited by Ian
Synonyms and Antonyms
SYN:Fasten, hold, adhere, embrace, stick, cleave, hang, twine, hug
ANT:Drop, recede, secede, apostatize, abandon, relax, forego, swerve, surrender
Checked by Letitia
Definition
v.i. to adhere or stick close by winding round: to adhere in interest or affection: to remain by an opinion: of wood to shrink.—v.t. to attach: to shrivel:—pa.t. and pa.p. clung.—n. adherence.—adjs. Cling′stone having the pulp adhering firmly to the stone (of peaches)—opp. to Freestone; Cling′y sticky.
Checked by Aida
Examples
- They cling to some arrangement, hoping against experience that a government freed from human nature will automatically produce human benefits. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
- Why should you cling so hard to that wretched life of yours, Sergius? Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- And can you cling to gaiety so eagerly as to walk all the way to a village festival in search of it? Thomas Hardy. The Return of the Native.
- Did she not rush down, and cling to you to save you from danger? Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell. North and South.
- To these things men's minds clung, and they clung to them because in all the world there appeared nothing else so satisfying to cling to. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
- Yet I must cling to it; perhaps it will kill me soon, and thus perform a thankful office. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- She remembered Gerty's words: I know him--he will help you; and her mind clung to them as a sick person might cling to a healing relic. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- A look of terror came over the sweet smiling face, and she clung to George as by an instinct. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- I hate my room at Aunt Julia's--so I came here---- She stirred suddenly, broke from her apathy, and clung to Gerty in a fresh burst of fear. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- There was a pretty woman at the back of the shop, dancing a little child in her arms, while another little fellow clung to her apron. Charles Dickens. David Copperfield.
- I clung to my ferocious habits, yet half despised them; I continued my war against civilization, and yet entertained a wish to belong to it. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- She clung round my neck, calling me by every dear name she could think of and saying what should she do without me! Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- The old man clung to his daughter during this sickness. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- She trusted and clung to me again. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- She fell upon her knees, and clinging to this stroller's child looked up at her almost with veneration. Charles Dickens. Hard Times.
- A crowd of little children were gathered round a bright fire, clinging to their mother's gown, and gambolling around her chair. Charles Dickens. The Pickwick Papers.
- Dora, clinging to them both, and weeping, exclaimed, 'O yes, aunts! Charles Dickens. David Copperfield.
- I was conscious that every other sentiment, regret, or passion had by degrees merged into a yearning, clinging affection for them. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- They would do something to throw off the clinging evil, and, while in action, they fancied that a remedy was applied. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- The boy was still clinging by her side, but she thought of another besides him. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- William, she said, suddenly clinging to Dobbin, who was near her, you've always been very kind to me--I'm--I'm not well. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- This is now a tainted place, and I well know the taint of it clings to me. Charles Dickens. Little Dorrit.
- I know where your heart turns and to what it clings. Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre.
- You can see the color of his hair--faded, somewhat--by this thin shred that clings still to the temple. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- But our reverence clings to the vessels. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
- My old superstition clings to me, even yet. Wilkie Collins. The Woman in White.
- Moreover, ineradicable connection with the changing, the inexplicably shifting, and with the manifold, the diverse, clings to experience. John Dewey. Democracy and Education.
- That peasant is more than a symbol of the privacy of human interest: he is a warning against the incurable romanticism which clings about the idea of a revolution. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
Edited by Dorothy