Adjacent Words

Fasten definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

F'ASTEN, v.t. f'asn.
1. To fix firmly; to make fast or close; as, to fasten a chain to the feet, or to fasten the feet with fetters.
2. To lock, bolt or bar; to secure; as, to fasten a door or window.
3. To hold together; to cement or to link; to unite closely in any manner and by any means, as by cement, hooks, pins, nails, cords, etc.
4. To affix or conjoin.
The words Whig and Tory have been pressed to the service of many successions of parties, with different ideas fastened to them. [Not common.]
5. To fix; to impress.
Thinking, by this face,
To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage.
6. To lay on with strength.
Could he fasten a blow, or make a thrust, when not suffered to approach?
F'ASTEN, v.i. To fasten on, is to fix one's self; to seize and hold on; to clinch.
The leech will hardly fasten on a fish.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: cause to be firmly attached; "fasten the lock onto the door"; "she fixed her gaze on the man" [syn: fasten, fix, secure] [ant: unfasten]
2: become fixed or fastened; "This dress fastens in the back" [ant: unfasten]
3: attach to; "They fastened various nicknames to each other"
4: make tight or tighter; "Tighten the wire" [syn: tighten, fasten]

Merriam Webster's

verb (fastened; fastening) Etymology: Middle English fastnen, from Old English fæstnian to make fast; akin to Old High German festin?n to make fast, Old English fæst fast Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. a. to attach especially by pinning, tying, or nailing b. to make fast and secure c. to fix firmly or securely d. to secure against opening 2. to fix or set steadily <fastened her attention on the main problem> 3. to take a firm grip with <the dog fastened its teeth in the shoe> 4. a. to attach (oneself) persistently and usually objectionably b. to place forcefully ; impose <fastened the blame on the wrong person> intransitive verb 1. to become fast or fixed 2. a. to take a firm grip or hold b. to focus attention • fastener noun Synonyms: fasten, fix, attach, affix mean to make something stay firmly in place. fasten implies an action such as tying, buttoning, nailing, locking, or otherwise securing <fasten the reins to a post>. fix usually implies a driving in, implanting, or embedding <fixed the stake in the ground>. attach suggests a connecting or uniting by a bond, link, or tie in order to keep things together <attach the W-2 form here>. affix implies an imposing of one thing on another by gluing, impressing, or nailing <affix your address label here>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. make or become fixed or secure. 2 tr. (foll. by in, up) lock securely; shut in. 3 tr. a (foll. by on, upon) direct (a look, thoughts, etc.) fixedly or intently. b focus or direct the attention fixedly upon (fastened him with her eyes). 4 tr. (foll. by on, upon) fix (a designation or imputation etc.). 5 intr. (foll. by on, upon) a take hold of. b single out. Derivatives: fastener n. Etymology: OE fæstnian f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fasten Fas"ten, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fastened; p. pr. & vb. n. Fastening.] [AS. f[ae]stnian; akin to OHG. festin[=o]n. See Fast, a.] 1. To fix firmly; to make fast; to secure, as by a knot, lock, bolt, etc.; as, to fasten a chain to the feet; to fasten a door or window. 2. To cause to hold together or to something else; to attach or unite firmly; to cause to cleave to something, or to cleave together, by any means; as, to fasten boards together with nails or cords; to fasten anything in our thoughts. The words Whig and Tory have been pressed to the service of many successions of parties, with very different ideas fastened to them. --Swift. 3. To cause to take close effect; to make to tell; to lay on; as, to fasten a blow. [Obs.] --Dryden. If I can fasten but one cup upon him. --Shak. To fasten a charge, or a crime, upon, to make his guilt certain, or so probable as to be generally believed. To fasten one's eyes upon, to look upon steadily without cessation. --Acts iii. 4. Syn: To fix; cement; stick; link; affix; annex.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fasten Fas"ten, v. i. To fix one's self; to take firm hold; to clinch; to cling. A horse leech will hardly fasten on a fish. --Sir T. Browne.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(fastens, fastening, fastened) 1. When you fasten something, you close it by means of buttons or a strap, or some other device. If something fastens with buttons or straps, you can close it in this way. She got quickly into her Mini and fastened the seat-belt... Her long fair hair was fastened at the nape of her neck by an elastic band. ...the dress, which fastens with a long back zip. = do up VERB: V n, be V-ed prep, V prep, also V n prep 2. If you fasten one thing to another, you attach the first thing to the second, for example with a piece of string or tape. There were no instructions on how to fasten the carrying strap to the box... = attach VERB: V n prep/adv 3. see also fastening

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Secure, bind, tie, attach, make fast, belay (naut.), bend (naut.). 2. Join, connect, unite, hold together. II. v. n. Be fixed, fix one's self, cling, cleave, catch hold.

Moby Thesaurus

address, adhere, affix, aim, anchor, annex, apply, attach, bang, bar, barricade, batten, batten down, bed, belay, bind, bolt, bond, bridle, button, button up, catch, cement, chain, choke, choke off, cinch, clamp, clap, cleave, clinch, cling, close, close up, cohere, concenter, concentrate, connect, constrict, contain, contract, cover, cramp, devote, direct, embed, enchain, engraft, entrammel, establish, fasten down, fasten up, fetter, fix, fixate, focus, fold, fold up, fuse, graft, grapple, gyve, hamper, handcuff, hang, hang up, hitch, hobble, hog-tie, hook, hook up, hopple, implant, infix, join, key, knit, lash, latch, leash, link, lock, lock out, lock up, lodge, make fast, make secure, make sure, manacle, moor, occlude, padlock, peg down, picket, pin down, pinion, plumb, point, put, put in irons, put to, put up, restrain, rivet, rope, screw up, seal, seal off, seal up, secure, set, set to, settle, shackle, shut, shut the door, shut up, slam, sling, snap, squeeze shut, stick, straitjacket, strangle, strap, suspend, tether, tie, tie down, tie up, tighten, train, trammel, trice up, trim, turn, unite, wedge, zip up, zipper