Third person singular present tense of 'clench,' meaning to grip or squeeze tightly, or to be determined.
From Old English 'clencan,' likely related to Germanic roots meaning 'to turn' or 'to bend,' evolving to mean gripping tightly with muscles or will.
Your hands clench when you're angry or determined—it's one of those primal physical responses that's so old and universal that multiple languages developed nearly identical words for it.
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