Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Cling

Cling (kling) , intransitive verb

[Anglo-Saxon clingan to adhere, to wither; akin to Danish klynge to cluster, crowd. Compare Clump.]

To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast, especially by twining round or embracing; as, the tendril of a vine clings to its support; -- usually followed by to or together. [Obsolete]
And what hath life for thee That thou shouldst cling to it thus? — Mrs. Hemans

Cling , transitive verb

1.
To cause to adhere to, especially by twining round or embracing. [Obsolete]
I clung legs as close to his side as I could. — Swift
2.
To make to dry up or wither. [Obsolete]
If thou speak'st false, Upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive, Till famine cling thee. — Shakespeare

Cling , noun

Adherence; attachment; devotion. [Rare]
A more tenacious cling to worldly respects. — Milton