crutch

«crutch» in Mova's school dictionary: a long stick with a support for under the arm or a… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a crutch, crutches)

meaning for a pupil

1) A crutch is a long stick with a support for under the arm or a handle, used to help someone walk when a leg or foot is injured. tree →

2) A crutch is something you depend on too much for support or comfort. tree →

sense in the lessons

In everyday life and first aid, someone with a broken leg walks on crutches for some weeks. In stories, a character on crutches has been injured. Phrases: on crutches, a pair of crutches, use something as a crutch.

examples

• She walked on crutches after breaking her ankle. tree →
• He needed a pair of crutches for six weeks. tree →
• The doctor showed me how to use the crutches. tree →
• It's hard to carry a tray when you're on crutches. tree →
• The calculator should not become a crutch; learn your times tables too. tree →
• Hold the door for people on crutches. tree →
• Outside the church door stood an old beggar, leaning on his crutch. tree →

note

Countable: a crutch, crutches (add -es after ch). Usually used in pairs. «Crotch» is a different word (where the legs meet); some people mix them up.

In the corpora

• He landed badly, twisted his ankle and spent the next two weeks on crutches.
• Six weeks on crutches.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «crutch» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.