a stick or device that goes under your arm to help you walk when you're injured or have trouble moving.
From Old English 'crycc', related to Old Norse 'krukkr' meaning 'hook' or 'crook.' The word originally described the hooked shape of the support.
Before modern medicine, crutches were so important that different cultures developed their own versions—some made from antlers, others from wood. The word 'crutch' is still used metaphorically to mean any tool we rely on too much, like checking your phone constantly!
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