noun
crampon
KRAM-pahn/ˈkræmpɑːn/
A spiked device attached to footwear for grip on ice or snow.
Each crampon grips the icy slope as the climber steps forward.
Etymology
Old French crampoun named a brace or staple, and the English word first described a metal bar bent for fastening. The footwear sense applies that fastening function to a spiked plate that grips ice or rock.
In context
take your crampon, collapse the toe strap, and then collapse that heel strap as well.
More examples
- She straps crampons onto her boots before crossing the glacier.
- One crampon comes loose, so we stop to adjust it.
- The guide checks that our crampons fit securely over our boots.
Forms
crampon · crampons
Similar words
- cleat
- Often a shoe's built-in stud rather than a separate attachment.