[fas.ten] vb fas.tened ; fas.ten.ing [ME fastnen, fr. OE faestnian to make fast; akin to OHG festinon to make fast, OE faest fast] vt (bef. 12c) 1 a: to attach esp. by pinning, tying, or nailing b: to make fast and secure c: to fix firmly or securely d: to secure against opening
2: to fix or set steadily "~ed her attention on the main problem"
3: to take a firm grip with "the dog ~ed its teeth in the shoe"
4. a: to attach (oneself) persistently and usu. objectionably b: impose "~ed the blame on the wrong person" ~ vi 1: to become fast or fixed
2. a: to take a firm grip or hold b: to focus attention -- fas.ten.er n syn fasten, fix, attach, affix mean to make something stay firmly in place. fasten implies an action such as tying, buttoning, nailing, locking, or otherwise securing "fasten the reins to a post". fix usu. implies a driving in, implanting, or embedding "fixed the stake in the ground". attach suggests a connecting or uniting by a bond, link, or tie in order to keep things together "attach the W-2 form here". affix implies an imposing of one thing on another by gluing, impressing, or nailing "affix your address label here".