1

rivet

noun riv·et \ ˈri-vət \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Examples: rivet in a Sentence

Definition of rivet

: 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

See rivet defined for English-language learners

See rivet defined for kids

Recent Examples of rivet from the Web

Last month India raised tariffs on a slew of American imports from chickpeas to rivets in retaliation for the United States hiking duties on steel and aluminum.

— joanna slater, Washington Post, "Mike Pompeo was supposed to meet with his Indian counterpart. He went to North Korea instead.," 6 July 2018
Photo: Shiho Fukada for The Wall Street Journal Another signature of the Momotaro jeans: invisible rivets.

— suryatapa bhattacharya, WSJ, "The Hottest Jeans Cost $2,000 and Are Made in Japan," 5 June 2018
The project was supposed to be wrapped up in 2016 but was delayed for reasons that included needing more time for historically accurate construction techniques, such as using rivets in order to preserve the century-old bridge’s period character.

— adam vaccaro, BostonGlobe.com, "After years of reconstruction, Longfellow Bridge reopened 5 a.m. Thursday," 31 May 2018
Both the dental records and the rivet proved fruitless in identifying the victim.

— cassie dickman, sacbee, "Could DNA technology help identify body from dumpster fire nearly 20 years ago? | The Sacramento Bee," 26 May 2018
So, in that way, discarding the rivets feels almost contentious—and potentially bad business.

— cam wolf, GQ, "3x1 Made Jeans for Our Candy-Ass 21st-Century Lifestyle," 25 May 2018
Now all of those rivet holes are predrilled and the windows are precut on very sophisticated routers.

— Popular Mechanics, "The Future of American Manufacturing," 23 May 2018
Morrison points to rivets—which were crucial for reinforcing jeans in the past—as something that just isn’t necessary anymore, thanks to developments in stitching technology.

— cam wolf, GQ, "3x1 Made Jeans for Our Candy-Ass 21st-Century Lifestyle," 25 May 2018
In 1873, Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis received a U.S. patent for men’s work pants made with copper rivets.

— BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 19 May 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of rivet

Middle English, clinch on a nail, rivet, from Old French, from river to attach, rivet, probably from rive border, edge, bank, from Latin ripa

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Hardware Terms

adze, auger, awl, chock, ferrule, punch, tang

2

rivet

verb

Definition of rivet

riveted; riveting; rivets

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

—

riveter

noun

See rivet defined for English-language learners

Examples of rivet in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of rivet from the Web

The cave rescue in Thailand rivets the world, and the story upstaged the usual political discussions on the Sunday morning programs.

— hal boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Trump interrupts 'Bachelorette'; CBS shifts 'TKO'," 8 July 2018
He was riveted by the people who shared their pain, such as the 19-year-old woman who never left her room or the man with schizophrenia trying to manage the warring voices in his head.

— amy ellis nutt, Washington Post, "To Your Health newsletter," 2 July 2018
An epic last-lap brawl among three drivers in the 1979 Daytona 500, televised nationally, also riveted new viewers.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "How an ex-moonshiner and a city slicker introduced NASCAR to America," 25 May 2018
Ronson’s matter-of-fact approach to an often-taboo topic makes for riveting reporting.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "The 50 Best Podcasts to Listen to Right Now," 30 Mar. 2018
Its stories are riveting and revealing, but the book omits all the good stories of trans kids who escape some of the psychic terror that previous generations have endured, and perpetrates the bigoted idea that trans people are mentally ill.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "If We Want to End the Border Crisis, It’s Time to Give Trump His Wall," 22 June 2018
After victimizing Argentine icon Lionel Messi from 12 yards in the climactic moment of Saturday’s riveting 1-1 draw, Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldórsson victimized an Argentine reporter.

— brian straus, SI.com, "Iceland Excels Playing Its Way to Secure Another Famous Point Worth Celebrating," 16 June 2018
The subject matter was riveting and challenged my own assumptions.

— kathleen luppi, latimes.com, "Pre-Civil War South drama premieres at South Coast Repertory," 5 Apr. 2018
Lively, iconoclastic and consistently riveting, this is popular history in the best sense.

— elizabeth lowry, WSJ, "‘Victorians Undone’ Review: Bodies in Question," 4 May 2018

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.

First Known Use of rivet

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

rivet Synonyms

Synonyms

center, concentrate, fasten, focus, train;

Related Words

aim, direct, home (in on), hone in (on), level, nail, point, set, zero (in on);

attend, heed, mind;

fixate (on), obsess (over);

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

RIVET Defined for English Language Learners

rivet

noun

Definition of rivet for English Language Learners

: a special kind of metal bolt or pin that is used to hold pieces of metal together

rivet

verb

Definition of rivet for English Language Learners

: to attract and hold all of someone's attention
: to make (someone) unable to move because of fear, shock, etc.
: to fasten (something) with rivets

RIVET Defined for Kids

1

rivet

noun riv·et \ ˈri-vət \

Definition of rivet for Students

: a bolt with a head that is passed through two or more pieces and is hammered into place

2

rivet

verb

Definition of rivet for Students

riveted; riveting

1 : to fasten with rivets

2 : to attract and hold (as someone's attention) completely

We were riveted by the story.

3 : to make (someone) unable to move because of fear or shock

Learn More about rivet

See words that rhyme with rivet Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rivet Spanish Central: Translation of rivet Nglish: Translation of rivet for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of rivet for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rivet

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