crutch
/krʌtʃ/noun
1
- a long stick with a crosspiece at the top, used as a support under the armpit by a lame person（T字形）拐杖。
1.1
- in sing. figurative a thing used for support or reassurance〈喻〉支撑物, 依靠, 支柱：
they use the Internet as a crutch for their loneliness.
他们将因特网用作孤独时的精神寄托。
词源
Old English crycc, cryc, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kruk and German krücke.