English → Latin
“clasp” in Latin
fībulaclasp, buckle, brooch, pin, latchet, brace; connection, bond, fetter; surgical instrument for drawing together the lips retināculumholdfast, tether, halter, hawser, band (also on chariots or ships); retinaculumamplectorto surround, encircle or entwine; to embrace, hug, clasp or grasp; to include, comprise, containcomplectorto embrace or hug; to encircle, surround, encompass; to comprehend, understandfībulōto fasten with a claspprehendōto lay hold of, seize, grasp, grab, snatch, take, catch; to detain someone in order to speak with them, accost, lay or capprehendōto lay hold upon, grasp, seize, grab, take, take hold of; apprehend, arrest; to grasp with the mind, understand, comprehcircumplectorto encompass; to embrace; to surround or encircleamplexorto embrace, encircle, clasp, cling to; to love, honor, cherish, esteemcircumplicōto wind, coil, fold or twine around; to bend around
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
clasp s.
fibula: retinaculum (general term).
Embrace, amplexus, complexus.
clasp v.
fibulare (Col.): infibulare (Cels.): fibula subnectere. With hands clasped together, digitis inter se pectine junctis (Ov., Met., 9). To be clasped together (of parts which fit one into the other, commissum esse): inter se commissa esse: cuire; (post-Augustan). To clasp each other’s hands, dextram dextrae committere (in pledging their faith; poetical, Ov.)
Grasp, prehendere, apprehendere.
Embrace, amplecti, complecti, circumplecti (quite round; e.g., a tree): amplexari (embrace tenderly): circumplicare (fold about: of a serpent, for instance). To clasp one about the waist, aliquem medium complecti. Clasped in each other’s arms, inter se complexi. The vine clasps with its tendrils whatever it meets, vitis claviculis suis, quidquid nacta est, complectitur.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for clasp?
- The usual Latin words for “clasp” are fībula, retināculum, amplector; also complector, fībulō, prehendō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.