clasp

English

Etymology

Noun dated in the 13th century AD and verb dated in the late 14th century AD; from claspe, possible modification of clapse, which is from Old English clyppan (“to grasp”). Related to English enclasp (“embrace, hold tightly in one's arms”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /klæsp/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /klɑːsp/
• (Northern England, Scotland) IPA^(key): /klasp/
• Rhymes: -æsp, -ɑːsp

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

clasp (plural clasps)

1. A fastener or holder, particularly one that clasps.

   I always have a hard time working the clasp on this necklace!

2. (in the singular) An embrace, a grasp, or handshake.

   He took her hand in a firm clasp.

Derived terms

• claspin
• clasp-knife
• claspless
• clasp lock
• clasp locker
• handclasp

 

Translations

fastener or holder

• Armenian: ճարմանդ (hy) (čarmand)

  Old Armenian: ճարմանդ (čarmand), շիգղ (šigł)

• Bulgarian: тока (bg) f (toka), закопчалка (bg) f (zakopčalka)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 扣子 (zh) (kòuzi), (hook clasp) 鈎環／钩环 (gōuhuán)

• Dutch: kram (nl) f, haak (nl) m, gesp (nl) m, knip (nl) f, slot (nl) n; schakel (nl) f, greep (nl) m
• Esperanto: agrafo
• French: fermoir (fr) m
• Galician: fibela f, broche m
• German: Spange (de) f, Klammer (de) f, Schnalle (de) f
• Ido: agrafo (io)
• Italian: fibbia (it) f, gancio (it) m, fermaglio (it) m
• Japanese: 留め金 (ja) (とめがね, tomegane), 締め金 (しめがね, shimegane), クラスプ (kurasupu)
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: fibula f
• Macedonian: копец m (kopec)
• Mongolian: горхи (mn) (gorxi)
• Ottoman Turkish: چاپراز (çapraz)
• Plautdietsch: Schnal f
• Polish: klamra (pl) f
• Portuguese: gancho (pt) m
• Russian: застёжка (ru) f (zastjóžka)
• Spanish: broche (es) m, manija (es) f, corchete (es) m, hebilla (es) f
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: siết chặt (vi)

an embrace, a grasp, or handshake

• German: Griff (de) m
• Spanish: abrazo (es) m

Verb

clasp (third-person singular simple present clasps, present participle clasping, simple past and past participle clasped)

1. (transitive) To take hold of; to grasp.

   They clasped hands and parted as friends.

   • 1922, Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit:

     And when the Boy dropped off to sleep, the Rabbit would snuggle down close under his little warm chin and dream, with the Boy's hands clasped close round him all night long.

   • 1897, Bram Stoker, chapter 21, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC:

     The poor dear lady shivered, and I could see the tension of her nerves as she clasped her husband closer to her and bent her head lower and lower still on his breast.

2. To shut or fasten together with, or as if with, a clasp.

Synonyms

• beclasp (dated)
• (grasp tightly): begrip, grasp, grip; See also Thesaurus:grasp
• (shut with a clasp):
• (shut as if with a clasp): attach, join, put together; see also Thesaurus:join

Derived terms

• clasper
• reclasp
• stem-clasping
• unclasp

 

Related terms

• enclasp

Translations

take hold of; grab tightly

• Bulgarian: захващам (bg) (zahvaštam), закопчавам (bg) (zakopčavam)
• Czech: sevřít
• Dutch: omklemmen (nl)
• Finnish: puristaa (fi), tarrata (fi), kouristaa
• French: serrer (fr)
• German: greifen (de)
• Italian: stringere (it), serrare (it), agguantare (it)
• Japanese: 握り締める (ja) (にぎりしめる, nigirishimeru)
• Macedonian: згра́пчи (zgrápči)
• Maori: whakakopa, kuku
• Ottoman Turkish: پرچینلمك (perçinlemek)
• Portuguese: agarrar (pt), enganchar (pt)
• Romanian: apuca (ro)
• Spanish: agarrar (es)

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “clasp”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• calps, claps, scalp