From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfastenfas‧ten /ˈfɑːsən $ ˈfæ-/ ●●○ verb 1 clothes/bag etc (also fasten up) a) [transitive]FASTEN/DO UP to join together the two sides of a coat, shirt, bag etc so that it is closed SYN do up OPP unfasten ‘I’m going now, ’ she said, fastening her coat. Fasten your seat belt. b) [intransitive]FASTEN/DO UP to become joined together with buttons, hooks etc SYN do up I was so fat that my skirt wouldn’t fasten.RegisterIn everyday British English, people usually say do up rather than fasten:Do up your jacket – it’s cold.2 window/gate etc [intransitive, transitive] to firmly close a window, gate etc so that it will not open, or to become firmly closed OPP unfasten Make sure all the windows are securely fastened before you leave.3 attach something to something [transitive]ATTACH to attach something firmly to another object or surfacefasten something with something Fasten the edges of the cloth together with pins.fasten something to something They fastened the rope to a tree.4 hold something tightly [intransitive, transitive]HOLD to hold something firmly with your hands, legs, arms, or teethfasten something around/round something She fastened her arms around his neck.fasten around/round A strong hand fastened round her wrist.fasten on/onto Their long claws allow them to fasten onto the rocks and hold firm.5 → fasten your eyes/gaze on somebody/something6 → fasten your attention on somebody/somethingGrammarFasten belongs to a group of verbs where the same noun can be the subject of the verb or its object. • You can say: You fasten the dress at the back. In this sentence, ‘the dress’ is the object of fasten.• You can say: The dress fastens at the back. In this sentence, ‘the dress’ is the subject of fasten.THESAURUSfasten to join together the two sides of a piece of clothing, bag, belt etcHe fastened the necklace behind her neck.attach to fasten something firmly to another object or surface, using screws, nails, tape, glue etcThe boards were attached with screws.The prisoner was attached to the wall with chains.join to connect or fasten things togetherJoin the pieces using a strong glueglue to join things together using glueGlue the fabric to the white card.tape to fasten something using tapeThe students’ name cards were taped to the table.staple to fasten something using staples (=a small piece of wire that is pressed through paper using a special machine)Don’t staple your résumé to your cover letter.clip to fasten things together using a clip (=a small metal object)A photo was clipped to the letter.tie to fasten a tie, shoelaces etc by making a knotDon’t forget to tie your shoelaces!do something up especially British English to fasten a piece of clothing or the buttons etc on itThe teacher doesn’t have time to do up every child’s coat.Let me do it up for you.button (up) to fasten a shirt, coat etc with buttonsHis shirt was buttoned right to the top.zip (up) to fasten a piece of clothing, a bag etc with a zipZip up your jacket, it’s cold.buckle (up) to fasten a seat belt, belt, shoe etc that has a buckle (=small metal object that fits through a hole in a strap)The little girl struggled to buckle her shoes.unfasten/untie/undo/unbutton/unzip to open something that is fastenedDo not unfasten your seat belt until the car has stopped completely. → fasten on/upon something → fasten onto somebody/something→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
fasten• The top pair never fastens, are known as dress buttons.• Forward seat belts each comprised a two-piece lap strap, fastened by a buckle, and an inertial reel diagonal shoulder strap.• Ella fastened her blouse with shaking fingers.• She fastened her broad hat beneath her chin.• Maggie fastened her eyes on him and tried to get control of her temper and her very stupidly lingering disappointment.• Turns out that as a state we smoke less, fasten seat belts more and are actually thinner.• He fastened the bracelet for her.• Christine fastened the brooch to her dress.• Apart from fastening the cuttings together, the lead strip acts as a weight to hold the bunch down.• But despite their different backgrounds, all the men meticulously fasten their seat belts before each journey.• The nails used to fasten tiles and slates should be of copper or aluminium composition.• Snowflake ornaments and tiny red ribbons were fastened to the Christmas tree.• Make sure the wires are properly fastened to the unit.• Passengers should keep their seat belts fastened until the warning light is extinguished.• Divers fasten weights around their waists to help them stay under water.• The chains were fastened with steel locks.• Many children's shoes now fasten with Velcro.• With the strap fastened, you should not be able to get the bike helmet off.• Fasten your coat - it's cold outside.• Please fasten your seat belts.fasten on/onto• What on earth was she now what trend or fad was she fastening on?• But by the spring of 1978 the war was over, and Snyder had fastened on a new cause: the homeless.• These will be fastened on and above them a platform.• An eddy of chill air swirled into the carriage, fastening on his knuckles.• There are sections of Hazlitt's critical work which fasten on more general issues.• A pounce, the cheetah's jaws fasten on the gazelle's throat, and it is quickly throttled to death.• Then he fastened on the particular problem of coffee.Origin fasten Old English fæstnian; related to → FAST2 