Forms: 4–7 claspe, clapse, 4–5 clospe, 9 dial. claps, 6– clasp. [See CLASP sb.
Senses 1–3 appear to be directly f. the sb.; senses 4–7 appear to be developed from these, perh. under influence of CLIP v. to embrace (complecti, amplecti) which clasp has in modern use to a great extent superseded; and we may suspect in this development some association with grasp, so that ‘clasp’ came to be ‘to grasp clipping.’]
1. trans. To fasten with a clasp; to secure or close with a clasp. Also with up.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 273. A Marchant … His bootes clasped [v.r. clospede, clapsed, clapsid] faire and fetisly.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 208/1. Shete my brother the bokes of the prophetes and clapse them.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 814/2. The booke clapsed with seuen clapses.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. § 22. 46–7 (J.). Sermons are the keyes … and do open the Scriptures; which being but read, remaine in comparison still clasped.
a. 1763. Shenstone, Wks. (1764), I. 246. One modest em’rald clasp’d the robe she wore.
1816. Keatinge, Trav., I. 6. The traveller should never clasp up his note book in despair.
b. fig.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. xxiii. (1865), 396. To make him clasp his teeth and not undo ’em.
1829. Hood, Eugene A., vi. O God, could I so close my mind And clasp it with a clasp!
2. To furnish or fit (e.g., a book) with a clasp.
1460. [see CLASPING vbl. sb.].
1664. Pepys, Diary (1879), III. 5. To the clasp-maker’s to have it [my Chaucer] clasped and bossed.
1716. Cibber, Love makes Man, II. i. A Beauty in Folio! would thou hadst her in thy Study, Carlos, tho’ it were but to new-clasp her.
† 3. To fasten; make fast to, together; to grapple (a ship). Obs.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 1847. To the chambyr dore he sprente, And claspid it wyth barres twoo.
1530. Palsgr., 485/2. I claspe or grapyll fast togyther, as men of warre do their shyppes…. The first thynge they dyd, they clasped their shyppes togyther.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., II. xvii. 113. The good Merchant … by his trading claspeth the iland to the continent, and one countrey to another.
4. To take hold of by means of encircling parts; to hold closely by closing round; loosely and poet. to environ, surround, enfold.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (1835), 85. Þe serpentys … claspyd hir helys ant þe dust dyde lykke þer fro.
1530. Palsgr., 485/2. I claspe, I hold a thyng fast bytwene my legges or in myn armes, je gryppe.
1578. Banister, Hist. Man, VIII. 103. [The] Muscle … nearely wrapping, or claspyng the hinder side of ye eye.
1604. T. Wright, Passions, VI. 315. As curious a generation as ever was clasped vnder the cope of Heaven.
a. 1845. Hood, Ruth, i. She stood breast high amid the corn, Clasp’d by the golden light of morn.
1866. B. Taylor, Bath, Poems 251. Where headlands clasp the crescent cove.
1875. Darwin, Insectiv. Pl., vi. 101. Well clasped by the surrounding short tentacles.
1888. Lowsley, Berksh. Wds. (E. D. S.), Claps, to clasp. [Also in Hampsh. & I. Wight Gloss., and West Som. Word-bk.]
b. spec. To take hold of by throwing both arms round; to embrace. Also fig.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Par. 2 Cor. vii. 3. I claspe and embrace you all together with my whole harte.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 68. Thryce dyd I theare coouet, to col, to clasp her in armes.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 918. Thy suppliant I beg, and clasp thy knees.
1752. Young, Brothers, II. i. Rome extends Her longing arms to clasp you for her own.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., lxxxvii. 8. In the midmost heart of grief Thy passion clasps a secret joy.
1864. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., III. 223. He clasped me in his arms, and kissed me.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt (1868), 13. She should clasp her son again.
5. To hold with close pressure of the curved hand: esp. to clasp the hand of another. To clasp hands: to join one’s hands by interlocking the fingers; also, to close or firmly join hands with another.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 62. Shee claspt my righthand.
1608. Shaks., Per., II. iv. 57. We’ll clasp hands.
1795. Southey, Joan of Arc, IV. 160. He … clasp’d with warmth her hand.
1847–9. Todd, Cycl. Anat., IV. 203/2. The hand [of the Chimpanzee] is thus admirably formed for clasping the thick boughs of forest trees.
1851. Longf., Gold. Leg., VI. Castle Vautsberg. Another hand than thine Was gently held and clasped in mine.
1859. W. Collins, Q. of Hearts (1875), 46. You will clasp your hands in amazement.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 11. 81. At half-past three P.M. my friend and I clasped hands upon the top.
6. intr. To lay hold or fix itself by clasping. Obs. (exc. as absol. use of a prec. trans. const.)
1568. Grafton, Chron. Edw. IV., II. 725. The fine steele never cleved faster to the Adamant stone, than he will sticke and claspe with you.
1608. Shaks., Per., IV. i. 56. Clasping to the mast.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, IV. § 15. 397. Helpt him, by his clasping about the timber, to pull out his feet from among the dead corps.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 450. Cords of mercy … clapse about them.
1730. A. Gordon, Maffei’s Amphith., 215. That the Iron might clasp the better, and be kept free from Rust, we find it wrap’d over with Lead.
7. causal. To bend or fold tightly round or over.
1798. Ellis & Canning, Loves of Triangles, 111–2, in Anti-Jacobin., II. 203.
| Though, climbing oft, she strive with bolder grace | |
| Round his tall neck to clasp her fond embrace. |
1875. Darwin, Insectiv. Pl., vi. 87. After the tentacles have remained closely clasped over any object.
1877. Mrs. Forrester, Mignon, I. 103. Mignon clasps her arms round her knees.
