From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishclaspclasp1 ●○○ verb [transitive] written 1 HOLDto hold someone or something tightly, closing your fingers or arms around them SYN grip A baby monkey clasps its mother’s fur tightly.clasp your hands/arms around/behind something Fenella leaned forward, clasping her hands around her knees. She stood with her hands clasped tightly together.clasp somebody/something in your hands/arms She clasped the photograph in her hands.clasp somebody to your chest/bosom (=hold someone tightly with your arms)► see thesaurus at hold2 FASTEN/DO UPto fasten something with a clasp→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
clasp• Lie down with your hands clasped behind your head.• Magrat clasped her hands together and looked down, biting her knuckles.• To Heather, she seemed delicate looking, poised with her hands loosely clasped in front.• The three sit silent for a moment, hands clasped in identical attitudes, staring at the table.• The baby monkey clasped its mother's fur tightly.• He clasped the royal hand and plastered it with three lingering kisses.• I see nothing wrong with clasping them above the waist.• Kneel, feet and legs together, arms stretched above your head, hands clasped together.clasp your hands/arms around/behind something• They made us all kneel, made us put our heads between our legs and clasp our hands behind.• Malik clasped his hands behind his back.• He switched channels with the remote, clasped his hands behind his head.• I clasped my hands behind my neck, and considered.• Lightly clasp your hands behind your head, elbows out to the sides.• Still with your legs crossed in the air, lightly clasp your hands behind your head.claspclasp2 /klɑːsp $ klæsp/ noun 1 [countable]DC a small metal object for fastening a bag, belt, piece of jewellery etc2 [singular]HOLD a tight hold SYN grip the firm clasp of her handExamples from the Corpus
clasp• It was about fifteen inches wide, of polished wood, and bound with brass clasps.• He hands them over wordlessly, his other arm circling a briefcase with a broken clasp.• The gilding was flaking off a clumsy clasp and some stitches had broken on the handle, leaving it frayed and shabby.• Most exciting of all, the book had a small gilt clasp with a lock and key.• The third time the clasp jammed. 