What does crutch mean?
A crutch is a long staff, usually used in pairs, that supports a person's weight while walking after injury or because of disability; it may be braced under the armpit or gripped at forearm height. By extension, the word describes anything a person leans on psychologically — alcohol, routines, relationships, excuses — instead of confronting problems unaided, and this figurative sense usually implies criticism of such dependence. The word comes from Old English 'crycce', meaning a staff or support, making it well over a thousand years old; remarkably, it shares ancestry with 'cricket', the word for a small low stool. Today 'crutches' most often appears in medical contexts — broken bones, sprains, post-surgery recovery — while 'emotional crutch' and similar phrases are staples of everyday speech about habits and coping mechanisms.
A staff or support, used singly or in pairs, fitted under the armpit or held against the body to help a lame or injured person walk.
"The nurse showed him how to adjust his crutches to the right height before he left the clinic."
To prop up or support with a crutch.
"He sat on the porch, his bandaged leg crutched out in front of him."
This verbal use is now rare and largely regional or literary.
Regular plural; walking aids are nearly always referred to in the plural since they are used in pairs.
"The doctor told her she would need the crutches for at least four weeks."
The humble crutch has been propping up humanity since at least Anglo-Saxon England — its Old English ancestor 'crycce' also gave us the word 'cricket', as in the low stool.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crutch
Crutch derives from the Old English 'crycce' or 'crycc', meaning a staff or support, and is related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch 'kruk' and German 'Krücke'. The same root produced Middle English 'criket', which survives in the word 'cricket' meaning a small low stool. The figurative sense of something depended upon for support developed naturally from the literal walking aid and was well established by early modern English.
Related word forms
How crutch is actually used
The figurative use carries a mildly negative connotation, implying over-dependence or avoidance of self-reliance, so calling something 'a crutch' can sound critical. The plural is regular ('crutches'), and the word almost always appears in the plural when referring to actual walking aids.
Easily confused with crutch
A clutch is a grip, a handbag, or a mechanism for engaging gears, whereas a crutch is a walking support — they differ by one letter and rhyme exactly.
The crotch is the place where the legs join the body, while a crutch is a staff used to aid walking.