From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrivetriv‧et1 /ˈrɪvɪt/ verb 1 → be riveted on/to/by something2 → be riveted to the spot3 [transitive]TE to fasten something with rivets→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
rivet• And whatsername with the plaits and the horns on her helmet was absolutely riveting.• To rivet all attention on herself was, to Lally, as natural as breathing.• The complex plot is riveting and entirely believable.• A ranting, riveting ball of phlegm made flesh?• What surprised and perplexed me was how authentic, and therefore how riveting, it turned out to be.• The riveting tale of suspense and mystery revolving around an inheritance and the pottery industry.• A rash of high-profile crimes riveted the city's attention this summer.• The legal standoff is another twist in the case that has riveted the United States.• Underneath was a rock with a brass plaque riveted to it.rivetrivet2 noun [countable] TBa metal pin used to fasten pieces of metal together → boltExamples from the Corpus
rivet• Rivalry was a rivet piercing through their bones, uniting those in a dansemacabre, a shifting pas de trois.• Fewer rivets were needed because rolled iron sheets could be made in larger sizes.• The torpedo door opens, its closing spring operates and all the hull rivets are tight.• Chord sequences register like rivets hammered into girders.• Palings are welded through rails, with no rivets, no visible joints or bolts.• No rivets could be used that had been out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.• He saw all the rivets and the little oily spots, the weld marks and the silencer mountings.• Just because a product was not made with rivets does not mean it is not a valuable export.Origin rivet2 (1300-1400) Old French river “to be fastened” 