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Origin and history of rivet

rivet(n.)

c. 1300, "cinch on a nail;" c. 1400, "short metal pin or bolt inserted through a hole at the junction of two or more metal pieces," the point then hammered broad to hold them together; from Old French rivet "nail, rivet," from river "to clench, fix, fasten," which is of uncertain origin; possibly from Middle Dutch wriven "turn, grind," and thus related to rive (v.). Or the English word might be directly from Middle Dutch.

rivet(v.)

early 15c., riveten, "to fasten (something) with rivets," also "to fasten (a nail or bolt) by hammering down the rivet," from rivet (n.). Figurative meaning "to command the attention" is from c. 1600 (For I mine eyes will rivet to his Face - "Hamlet"). Related: Riveted; riveting.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to rivet

rive(v.)

"tear in pieces, strike asunder," c. 1200, from a Scandinavian or North Sea Germanic source akin to Old Norse rifa "to tear apart," from Proto-Germanic *rifanan "to tear, scratch" (compare Swedish rifva, Danish rive "scratch, tear"), from PIE root *rei- "to scratch, tear, cut" (see riparian).

riveting(adj.)

"commanding attention," 1854, present-participle adjective from rivet (v.). Earlier in a figurative sense of "clinching" (of an argument, etc.), 1670s. Related: Rivetingly.

riveter(n.)

1800, "one who rivets," agent noun from rivet (v.). By 1884 as "a riveting machine." The same word was used c. 1300 as "a riveter" or "a maker of rivets."

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    concentrate
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    think
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    dust
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