crutch

/krʌtʃ/

Thân thiện

He uses a wooden crutch to walk after his injury.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A mobility aid: A crutch is a support device, typically made of wood or metal, designed to fit under the armpit and reach the ground, used to assist a person with an injured leg or disability in walking.
   • A psychological or metaphorical support: A crutch is anything used as a temporary or habitual expedient for support, often to cope with a difficulty or weakness, which may be seen as preventing full independence.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Mobility Aid):
  • After breaking his ankle, he needed to use a crutch for six weeks.
  • The hospital provided her with a pair of crutches.
• Noun (Metaphorical Support):
  • He used his busy work schedule as a crutch to avoid social situations.
  • For some people, caffeine is a morning crutch.

Advanced Usage

• "a crutch for": used to describe something that serves as a support for a specific problem or deficiency.
  • The detailed checklist was a necessary crutch for his poor memory.
• "to use something as a crutch": to depend on something (often negatively viewed) as a habitual support.
  • She realized she was using sarcasm as a crutch in difficult conversations.

Variants and Related Words

• Crutches (n, plural): The standard term for a pair of these mobility aids.
  • He was learning to walk on crutches.
• Crux (n): While not a variant, it is a phonetically similar word meaning the decisive or most important point. (e.g., )

Synonyms

• Support: Something that bears the weight of something or someone.
• Prop: A thing used to support something or keep it in position.
• Expedient: A means of attaining an end, especially one that is convenient but possibly improper or immoral.

Related Phrases

• "To be on crutches": To be using crutches for mobility.
  • She will be on crutches for the next month.
• "A psychological crutch": A specific type of metaphorical support used for emotional or mental coping.
  • His constant optimism acted as a psychological crutch during the crisis.

Related Idioms

• "A crutch for the lame": This phrase emphasizes the idea of something that supports a specific weakness or deficiency.
  • The new software was a crutch for the lame, helping the less experienced team members keep up. (Note: This idiom can be considered dated or potentially insensitive in modern usage.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. anything that serves as an expedient
   • he uses drugs as a psychological crutch
2. a wooden or metal staff that fits under the armpit and reaches to the ground; used by disabled person while walking