Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: beclencan

clench

 verb
     
clench [transitive]
1

clench your fists/teeth/jaw etc

to hold your hands, teeth etc together tightly, usually because you feel angry or determined:
Jody was pacing the sidelines, her fists clenched.
2 to hold something tightly in your hand or between your teeth:
a cigar clenched between his teeth
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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