clasp

[klasp, klahsp]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR clasp ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a device, usually of metal, for fastening together two or more things or parts of the same thing: a clasp for paper money; a clasp on a necklace.

a firm grasp or grip: a clasp of hands.

a tight embrace: She held the child in a loving clasp.

a small bar or metal design, as a star, for affixing to the ribbon of a military decoration to indicate that the bearer has been awarded the decoration an additional time.

verb (used with object), clasped or (Archaic) claspt [klaspt, klahspt] /klæspt, klɑspt/; clasping.

to fasten with or as with a clasp.

to furnish with a clasp.

to seize, grasp, or grip with the hand: She clasped the club in her hand.

to hold in a tight embrace; hug: He clasped the child to him.

verb (used without object), clasped or (Archaic) claspt [klaspt, klahspt] /klæspt, klɑspt/; clasping.

to embrace or hug: The lovers clasped.

Origin of clasp

1275–1325; Middle English clasp (noun), claspen (v.), perhaps blend of clippen clip² and haspe hasp

Related formsin·ter·clasp, verb (used with object)re·clasp, verb (used with object)

Synonyms for clasp

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR clasp ON THESAURUS.COM

1. brooch, pin, clip, hook, catch. 3. hug.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for clasped

grasp, clutch, clamp, fasten, grip, concatenate, squeeze, clip, pin, seize, buckle, clinch, attack, snatch, grapple, hug, embrace, take, press, hold

Examples from the Web for clasped

Contemporary Examples of clasped

Hernandez clasped his hands behind his back, the fingers slender, almost delicate, needing a weapon to have conveyed any menace.
Chicago Gang Shootings Spike as the City Tries to Cope
Michael Daly
April 17, 2012
As I left him, I clasped his hand and said "jaarama"—thank you, in Fulani.
How the Gambia is Fighting FGC
Julia Lalla-Maharajh
February 5, 2011
Exhausted, her lovely face streaked with dried tears, she clasped my hand.
My Life with the Kennedys
Archbishop Hannan, Nancy Collins
June 1, 2010

Historical Examples of clasped

The venerable Persian gazed at her for an instant, and then clasped her to his bosom.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
He clasped his head in his hands and strove to clear his mind for a moment from obsession.
Viviette
William J. Locke
But his wife, her face aglow, clasped her hands in an ecstasy of delight.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
As she spoke, the girl let go Mary's hand and clasped her own together ecstatically.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
Springing forward, she would have clasped her in a close embrace.
John Inglefield's Thanksgiving
Nathaniel Hawthorne

British Dictionary definitions for clasped

clasp

noun

a fastening, such as a catch or hook, used for holding things together

a firm grasp, hold, or embrace

military a bar or insignia on a medal ribbon, to indicate either a second award or the battle, campaign, or reason for its award

verb (tr)

to hold in a firm grasp

to grasp firmly with the hand

to fasten together with or as if with a clasp

Derived Formsclasper, noun

Word Origin for clasp

C14: of uncertain origin; compare Old English clyppan to embrace

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for clasped

clasp

c.1300, claspe, "metal catch or hook used to hold things together," perhaps a metathesis of clapse, and thus from or related to Old English clyppan "clasp" (see clip (v.2)).

clasp

late 14c., from clasp (n.). Related: Clasped; clasping.

clasped in Medicine

clasp

[klăsp]

n.

A part of a removable partial denture that directly retains or stabilizes a denture.