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.

• (America) IPA: /klæsp/
• (RP) IPA: /klɑːsp/
• (Northern England, Scotland) IPA: /klasp/

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.

• French: fermoir
• German: Spange, Klammer, Schnalle
• Italian: fibbia, gancio, fermaglio
• Portuguese: gancho
• Russian: застёжка
• Spanish: broche, manija, corchete, hebilla

• German: Griff
• Spanish: abrazo

clasp (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.

• 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

• enclasp

• French: serrer
• German: greifen
• Italian: stringere, serrare, agguantare
• Portuguese: agarrar, enganchar
• Spanish: agarrar