clunch

noun, verb — 2 senses

noun

Etymology Perhaps related to clump. Compare hump, hunch; lump, lunch, etc.

UK A traditional building material mostly made of chalk or clay.

clunch pit
The manor-house stands near the church, and is a large convenient old house built of clunch, stone, &c. with good gardens and walks adjoining to the river side.1736, Charles Parkin, History of Norfolk, volume 6:

verb

Etymology Alteration of clench.

To grasp firmly; clench.

As William Wallace felt the bank giving away under his feet, he clunched the other boy firmly by the arm.1920, Nephi Anderson, The Boys of Springtown, page 15:

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