1325-75;Middle Englishclambren, equivalent to clamb- (akin to climb) + -r--er6 + -en infinitive suffix
Related forms
clamberer, noun
Examples from the web for clamber
Indomitable ambition impels him to clamber up over the hopes and bodies of his fellow-workers.
He has proved before that he can clamber back out of a hole.
Their children, stunted and ginger-haired from malnutrition, clamber in the trees.
It emerged from foliage on the side of an impossibly steep cliff and proceeded to clamber up the slope without much difficulty.
After-images of travesties that clamber into my brain and breed.
They run to and from him and clamber through the manicured garden.
These changes have allowed more marginal homebuyers to clamber on to the housing ladder.
Several endemic species of geckos clamber over the rocks.
We clamber up to it in the afternoon light and each pick an alcove to bunk down in.
When startled, chimpanzees clamber from trees and race off across the ground.
British Dictionary definitions for clamber
clamber
/ˈklæmbə/
verb
1.
usually foll by up, over, etc. to climb (something) awkwardly, esp by using both hands and feet
noun
2.
a climb performed in this manner
Derived Forms
clamberer, noun
Word Origin
C15: probably a variant of climb
Word Origin and History for clamber
v.
"to climb with difficulty using hands and feet," late 14c., possibly frequentative of Middle English climben "to climb" (preterit clamb), or akin to Old Norse klembra "to hook (oneself) on." Related: Clambered; clambering.