Words / A2

FAHSN/ˈfɑːsn/

Fasten means close or join something so it stays: fasten your seatbelt, fasten the gate, fasten a button. Do up is an everyday British cousin. Unfasten and undo are opposites. Fast means quick — mix-up. Fashion is clothes. Do not write fasten when you mean fast, or fashion.

Meaning

To close or join something so it stays in place.

Examples

• “Please fasten your seatbelt before take-off.”
• “Fasten the rucksack straps so they do not swing on the stairs.”
• “The cabin crew asked everyone to fasten seatbelts during the storm.”

Good to know

fasten your seatbelt / a button. Everyday: do up. Opposite: unfasten. Mix-up: fast, fashion.

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