Clinch

Clinch, river, c.300 mi (480 km) long, formed by the junction of two forks in SW Va., and flowing generally SW across E Tenn. to the Tennessee River at Kingston. Its waters and those of its tributary, the Powell, are used to make a reservoir at Norris Dam; at its mouth the Clinch forms Watts Bar Reservoir. The river is thus an important part of the system of the Tennessee Valley Authority. In the 1970s controversy arose over the growing pollution problem of the waters and the effect upon fish.

To clinch (v), a variant of clench, was originally to fix or secure (a nail or bolt, for example) by hammering down or flattening the end that protrudes or the act of fastening together in this way.

A clinch (n) nail or device to hold in this way may be called a clinch.

To clinch a title (v), in sports, a team is said to have clinched a title before the end of the tournament or series by acquiring an insurmountable lead.

Clinch may also refer to:

• A Grappling position in boxing or wrestling, a stand-up embrace.
• Clinch County, Georgia
• Clinch River