agrafe

noun

ə-ˈgraf

variants or agraffe

: a hook-and-loop fastening

especially : an ornamental clasp used on armor or costumes

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French agrafe, going back to Middle French agraffe, probably noun derivative of agrafer "to seize with a grappling hook, attach with a clasp," from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + grafer, graffer "to clamp on," verbal derivative of grafe, graffe "hook," borrowed from Old High German khrapfo, going back to West Germanic *krappō — more at grape

First Known Use

circa 1660, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of agrafe was circa 1660

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Agrafe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agrafe. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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