Clasp

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /klæsp/

Definitions

1. A device that fastens two parts together, or the act of holding something firmly with one's hands
2. A fastening mechanism used to join two objects securely or the action of gripping or holding an item tightly with the hands
3. An implement designed for securing items together or the behavior of grasping something firmly with one's fingers

Etymology: The noun "clasp" first appears in English around 1300, when it meant a metal catch or hook used to hold things together. The verb followed about a century later, around 1400. Its ancestry is less certain than its sense. It may be a case of metathesis, a swapping of sounds, from an older form "clapse," which itself seems to be related to the Old English verb "clyppan," meaning to embrace. The same root is behind the modern verb "clip," so "clasp" and "clip" are distant cousins. That embrace sense survives in "enclasp," meaning to hold tightly in one's arms, which shows the word's original warmth. A fastening and a hug were once close enough in meaning to share a root. Another English word, "hasp," means nearly the same thing, a hinged metal fastener for a door or lid. "Hasp" is the older of the two in terms of known origin, while "clasp" has the murkier beginnings.

Synonyms: grasp, hold, clutch, grab

Antonyms: release, let go