rivet

noun

riv·et | \ ˈri-vət

Definition of rivet

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a headed pin or bolt of metal used for uniting two or more pieces by passing the shank through a hole in each piece and then beating or pressing down the plain end so as to make a second head

rivet

verb

riveted; riveting; rivets

Definition of rivet (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to fasten with or as if with rivets

2 : to upset the end or point of (something, such as a metallic pin, rod, or bolt) by beating or pressing so as to form a head

3 : to fasten or fix firmly stood riveted by fright

4 : to attract and hold (something, such as a person's attention) completely

Other Words from rivet Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About rivet

Examples of rivet in a Sentence

Verb The iron plates are riveted rather than welded. everyone riveted their eyes on the trick that the magician was performing on stage

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun On a gravel bike, head up the Boulder Creek Path to Four Mile Canyon, then bang a left on Logan Mill and follow signs for the Escape Route, a forest-fire egress that’s steep enough to put you on the rivet. — Marc Peruzzi, Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2019 Now, fresh out of a five-year nut, bolt and last rivet restoration in Australia, this legendary 79-year-old Supermarine Spitfire Mark IX, is being offered for sale with a £4.5 million, or roughly $6.1 million, price tag. — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 25 Jan. 2022 More to the point, denim has moved on since Levi Strauss and Jacob W.Davis patented the rivet in 1873. — Joseph Deacetis, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2021 Some motorists are also installing anti-theft cages and covers that rivet into the underbody of a vehicle. — Paul A. Eisenstein, NBC News, 22 July 2021 Integral to the design are the principles of acupuncture—there’s a round copper rivet on the bottom of the shoe, which touches the ground as well as the foot. — Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 1 June 2021 Then bend the aluminum into a cone as shown and drill the rivet holes. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 17 Apr. 2021 Each blade has a satin polish finish and the triple-rivet handles feature ergonomic designs. — NBC News, 2 Mar. 2021 The cover of the Memorial Day 1943 issue of The Saturday Evening Post featured a Norman Rockwell painting of a muscular woman calmly eating a sandwich while balancing a rivet gun on her lap. — John Pope, NOLA.com, 24 Sep. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Another former colleague, Rosemary Gordon Panuco, now a special magistrate in Tucson, Arizona, said Reynolds not only knew the law but how to rivet a jury. — Joe Swickard, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2022 Mamet's star has been considerably tarnished by his own doing, but his work still has the power to rivet audiences. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2022 These are incomparable real-time documents from a man with a singular perspective on the unfolding events that still rivet us today. — Mark Peikert, Town & Country, 14 Feb. 2022 Anderson and his assistant, Amy Lahey (no relation to Jim), bend, weld, grind, polish and rivet each of the boxes in their workshop in Newburgh, N.Y., and are often told that the finished products work a little too well. — New York Times, 4 Feb. 2021 Jimmy's goofy Elder Law practice turned into a subplot that totally riveted me. — James Hibberd, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2020 The episode has riveted the criminology community—and severed a once close relationship after one of the researchers accused his former mentor of falsifying data. — Dalmeet Singh Chawla, Science | AAAS, 26 Nov. 2019 Think: automatons riveting bolts on a auto production line. — Greg Jefferson, ExpressNews.com, 17 Apr. 2020 The Fifth Symphony got a performance riveting start to finish. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 9 Feb. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rivet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.