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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

clasp.

A device with interlocking parts used for fastening things together, such as a fastener or a holder.

5 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/klɑːsp/Received-Pronunciation/klæsp/Received-Pronunciation/klasp/Northern-England, Scotland/klæsp/General-American
  1. A device with interlocking parts used for fastening things together, such as a fastener or a holder.

    countable
    I always have a hard time working the clasp on this necklace!
  2. A bar or insignia on a medal ribbon, to either indicate an additional award of the medal, or the action or service for which it was awarded.

    countable
  3. An embrace, a grasp, or handshake.

    uncountable
    He took her hand in a firm clasp.
Where this word comes from

Noun dated ca. 1300 and verb dated ca. 1400; from Middle English claspe (“metal catch or hook used to hold things together”), possible metathesis of clapse, which comes from or related to Old English clyppan (“clasp”) (also see clip (verb)). Related to English enclasp (“embrace, hold tightly in one's arms”). Compare hasp, of very similar meaning but older known provenance.

verb/klɑːsp/Received-Pronunciation/klæsp/Received-Pronunciation/klasp/Northern-England, Scotland/klæsp/General-American
  1. To take hold of; to grasp.

    transitive
    They clasped hands and parted as friends.
  2. To shut or fasten together with, or as if with, a clasp.

    transitive
  3. To cling.

    intransitive · obsolete · rare
Where this word comes from

Noun dated ca. 1300 and verb dated ca. 1400; from Middle English claspe (“metal catch or hook used to hold things together”), possible metathesis of clapse, which comes from or related to Old English clyppan (“clasp”) (also see clip (verb)). Related to English enclasp (“embrace, hold tightly in one's arms”). Compare hasp, of very similar meaning but older known provenance.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.