clinching meaning: definition, quotations

clinching

adj

That settles something (such as an argument) definitely and conclusively.

‘Yes,’ said Dick, with such a clinching period at the end that it seemed he was never going to add another word.1872, [Thomas Hardy], “VIII. Dick Meets His Father”, in Under the Greenwood Tree: A Rural Painting of the Dutch School, volume II, London: Tinsley Brothers, →OCLC, part II, page 16:
There were no dreams, No phantoms in her future any more: One clinching revelation of what was One by-flash of irrevocable chance, Had acridly but honestly foretold The mystical fulfilment of a life That might have once … But that was all gone by1921, Edwin Arlington Robinson, “Imogen”, in Collected Poems, lines 113–119:

1 more example

He shocked his hearers by urging them not to fast during Ramadan, which begins Feb. 29. As a clinching argument, Bourguiba recalled that even Mohammed, when inconveniently overtaken by Ramadan on his march to Mecca, counseled his soldiers: “Break the fast, and you will be stronger to confront the enemy.”1960 February 22, “Breaking the Fast”, in Time:

noun

A clinch; a passionate embrace.

Though there are no kissings and clinchings, […]1937, Motion Picture Herald, volume 127, numbers 1-6, page 42:

A making certain or finalizing.

Only six weeks into the season, the top-ranked Bulldogs were undefeated at 60, but more important to Louisiana Tech was one of the earliest clinchings of a conference title in the annals of college football.2015, George Becnel, The Southland Conference: Small College Football, Big Dreams:

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences Historical The distortion of computer tape by wrinkling.

This “clinching” can distort the tape by causing a series of creases or folds in the surface and may produce read errors.1985, Alvin C. Larson, Computer Operator (AFSC 51150), page 87:
Computer magnetic tape is designed primarily for its storage capacity, speed, and capacity to be repeatedly erased and written over. […] Bad binder can cause holes in the oxide, loose particles, or clinching of tape.1987, Conservation Administration News, numbers 28-35, page 29:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.