INDEX:
1. to fasten something
2. to unfasten something
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ TIGHT
↑ TIE/UNTIE
↑ ATTACH
↑ JOIN
↑ STICK
↑ CLOTHES
◆◆◆
1. to fasten something
▷ fasten /ˈfɑːs ə nǁˈfæ-/ [transitive verb]
to join together the two sides of a piece of clothing, bag, belt etc, so that it is closed :
▪ Fasten your coat - it’s cold outside.
▪ He fastened the bracelet for her.
▪ Ella fastened her blouse with shaking fingers.
fastened [adjective not before noun]
▪ Please keep your seat belts fastened.
▷ button/button up /ˈbʌtn, ˌbʌtn ˈʌp/ [transitive verb/transitive phrasal verb]
to fasten the buttons on a piece of clothing :
▪ He began buttoning his shirt and putting on his tie.
▪ Stone buttoned up his heavy jacket.
button something up/button up something
▪ She buttoned her cardigan up all the way to her neck.
▪ I adjusted my tie and buttoned up my coat.
buttoned up [adjective]
▪ It was cold and his coat was completely buttoned up.
▷ zip up [transitive phrasal verb] also zip /ˌzɪp ˈʌp, zɪp/ [transitive verb] especially American
to fasten clothes, bags etc with a zip :
▪ I can’t zip up these jeans - they’re too tight.
▪ Can you zip my dress for me?
zip something up
▪ She took some money out of her purse and quickly zipped it up again.
zip up something
▪ Roger zipped up the battered black case he carried his guitar in.
zipped up [adjective not before noun]
▪ My sleeping bag was fully zipped up.
▷ do up /ˌduː ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb] British especially spoken
to fasten clothes, or the buttons, zips etc on clothes :
do up something
▪ Come on then, do up your coat and let’s go.
▪ When I walked into the room, Allen was doing up his trousers.
do something up
▪ I can’t do this zip up - it’s stuck.
▪ Are your shoelaces done up properly?
done up /ˌdʌn ˈʌp/ [adjective not before noun]
▪ The toggles on his duffel coat were done up wrongly.
▷ tie /taɪ/ [transitive verb]
to fasten something by making a knot :
▪ She tied a scarf around her neck.
▪ Do you know how to tie a bow tie?
▷ buckle up [intransitive phrasal verb] also buckle [transitive verb] American /ˌbʌk ə l ˈʌp, ˈbʌk ə l/
to fasten your seatbelt in a car :
▪ Eighty percent of motorists now buckle up, studies show.
▪ Nancy got behind the wheel and buckled up.
▪ The new law will require passengers in the rear seats of automobiles to buckle their seatbelts.
2. to unfasten something
▷ unfasten /ʌnˈfɑːs ə nǁ-ˈfæ-/ [transitive verb]
to open the two sides of a piece of clothing, bag, belt etc :
▪ It was hot in the waiting-room, so I unfastened my coat.
▪ Jack unfastened his seatbelt and stepped out of the car.
unfastened [adjective not before noun]
▪ The back of her dress was unfastened.
▷ undo /ʌnˈduː/ [transitive verb]
to unfasten clothes or unfasten buttons, zips etc on clothes :
▪ My fingers were so cold that I couldn’t undo the buttons.
▪ Rosie undid her necklace and put it on the bedside table.
undone /ʌnˈdʌn/ [adjective not before noun]
▪ Your zip’s undone!
come undone
become unfastened
▪ One of his shoelaces had come undone.
▷ unbutton /ʌnˈbʌtn/ [transitive verb]
to unfasten the buttons on a piece of clothing :
▪ She slowly unbuttoned her blouse.
▪ Father Poole began to unbutton his overcoat.
unbuttoned [adjective not before noun]
▪ His shirt was completely unbuttoned.
▷ unzip /ʌnˈzɪp/ [transitive verb]
to unfasten clothes, bags etc by unfastening a zip :
▪ She unzipped the case and took out a thick file.
▪ He unzipped his jacket and flung it on a chair.
unzipped [adjective]
▪ An unzipped bag was sitting on one of the benches.
▷ untie /ʌnˈtaɪ/ [transitive verb]
to unfasten the knot that fastens shoes, a tie, a scarf etc :
▪ He untied his right shoe first.
▪ Amy untied her apron and folded it neatly.
untied [adjective]
▪ He’s always walking around with his shoelaces untied.
▷ loosen /ˈluːs ə n/ [transitive verb]
to unfasten clothes a little in order to make yourself more comfortable :
▪ I’d eaten so much that I had to loosen my belt.
▪ Carter took off his jacket and loosened his tie.
▷ open /ˈəʊpən/ [adjective]
a shirt, bag etc that is open is not fastened :
▪ It was very hot and the men had their shirts open to the waist.
▪ Emily realised that her handbag was open and her money gone.
come open
become open accidentally
▪ Her blouse came open in front of a nationwide TV audience!