Webster's English Dictionary

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fasten

fas.ten \'fas-*n\ \'fas-nin, -*n-in\ \-n*r, -*n-*r\ vb or fas.ten.ing [ME 
   fastnen, fr. OE fstnian to make fast; akin to OHG f]estino-n to make 
   fast, OE fst fast 1a: to attach esp. by pinning, tying, or nailing  
   1b: to make fast and secure  1c: to fix firmly or securely  1d: to secure 
   against opening  2: to fix or set steadily  3: to take a firm grip with  
   4a: to attach (oneself) persistently and usu. objectionably  4b: IMPOSE  1: 
   to become fast or fixed  2a: take a firm grip or hold  2b: to focus 
   attention thing stay firmly in place. FASTEN implies an action such as 
   tying, buttoning, nailing, locking, or otherwise securing; FIX usu. implies 
   a driving in, implanting, or embedding; ATTACH suggests a connecting or 
   uniting by a bond, link, or tie in order to keep things together; AFFIX 
   implies an imposing of one thing on another by gluing, impressing, or 
   nailing - fas.ten.er n SYN syn FASTEN, FIX, ATTACH, AFFIX mean to make some