clinch

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• intransitive verb To fix or secure (a nail or bolt, for example) by bending down or flattening the pointed end that protrudes.
• intransitive verb To fasten together in this way.
• intransitive verb To settle definitely and conclusively; make final.
• intransitive verb Sports To secure (a divisional championship, for instance) before the end of regular season play by having an insurmountable lead.
• intransitive verb To fasten with a clinch knot.
• intransitive verb To be held together securely.
• intransitive verb Sports To hold a boxing opponent's body with one or both arms to prevent or hinder punches.
• intransitive verb Slang To embrace amorously.
• noun Something, such as a clamp, that clinches.
• noun The clinched part of a nail, bolt, or rivet.
• noun Sports An act or instance of clinching in boxing.
• noun A clinch knot.
• noun Slang An amorous embrace.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun See clench.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast; a grip; a grasp; a clamp; a holdfast.
• noun A pun.
• noun (Naut.) A hitch or bend by which a rope is made fast to the ring of an anchor, or the breeching of a ship's gun to the ringbolts.
• intransitive verb To hold fast; to grasp something firmly; to seize or grasp one another.
• transitive verb To hold firmly; to hold fast by grasping or embracing tightly.
• transitive verb To set closely together; to close tightly.
• transitive verb To bend or turn over the point of (something that has been driven through an object), so that it will hold fast.
• transitive verb To make conclusive; to confirm; to establish.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• verb To fasten securely or permanently.
• verb To embrace passionately.
• noun Any of several fastenings.
• noun The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast; a grip or grasp.
• noun obsolete A pun.
• noun nautical A hitch or bend by which a rope is made fast to the ring of an anchor, or the breeching of a ship's gun to the ringbolts.
• noun A passionate embrace.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• verb secure or fasten by flattening the ends of nails or bolts
• noun a tight or amorous embrace
• verb embrace amorously
• noun a device (generally used by carpenters) that holds things firmly together
• verb flatten the ends (of nails and rivets)
• verb hold a boxing opponent with one or both arms so as to prevent punches
• verb hold in a tight grasp
• noun a small slip noose made with seizing
• noun (boxing) the act of one boxer holding onto the other to avoid being hit and to rest momentarily
• verb settle conclusively
• noun the flattened part of a nail or bolt or rivet