crutch

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
crutch/krʌtʃ/

▶noun

• 1 a long stick with a crosspiece at the top, used as a support by a lame person.

• 2 a thing used for support or reassurance.

• 3 the crotch of the body or a garment.

– origin OE crycc, cryc, of Gmc origin.