crutch

/kɹʌtʃ/noun

A support, usually fitted under the armpit, that helps an injured person walk by taking weight off a leg.

Example sentences

“After the operation she needed a crutch to get around the house.”
“He walked on crutches for six weeks after breaking his ankle.”

Figuratively, a crutch is anything you lean on too much: 'using notes as a crutch'. That use is mildly critical.

Related words

syringeA medical instrument with a needle, a tube for holding liquid, and a plunger, used for injecting or drawing out fluids.wheelchairA chair fitted with large wheels that lets a sick or disabled person move around or be moved.needleA very thin, sharp, hollow piece of metal that a doctor or nurse uses to give an injection or take blood.stretcherA light frame used to carry someone who is hurt, ill, or dead.stitchA short piece of thread that a doctor sews through the skin to close a cut or wound.ambulanceA vehicle equipped to carry sick or badly injured people to a hospital in an emergency.