SYNONYMS

fastening

fast ♦ quick ♦ rapid

These adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns.

fast ~	quick ~	rapid ~
car	glance	change
train	look	growth
bowler	reply	increase
pace	decision	decline
lane	way	progress

u Fast is used especially to describe a person or thing that moves or is able to move at great speed. * fast

s Quick is more often used to describe something that is done in a short time or without delay. * quick &

■ Rapid, swift and speedy are more formal words.

* rapid, swift ffl speedy

m Rapid is most commonly used to describe the speed at which something changes. It is not used to describe the speed at which something moves or is done.* rapid

0 rapid train o We had a rapid

coffee.

m Swift usually describes something that happens or is done quickly and immediately. * swift

a swift decision jfi o The government took swift action.

■ Speedy has a similar meaning. * speedy J

MX: a speedy recovery It is used less

often to talk about the speed at which something moves. a speedy

ear

For the use of fast and quick as adverbs, see the usage

note at quick. fast fR quick ft giji^j jfj ft, Jg

quick is]&#Jffifti&Bjj₀

.fast ‘bowler (also pace bowler, pace-man) noun (in cricket ® $c) a person who bowls very fast $

,fast ‘breeder (also fast .breeder reactor) noun a reactor in a nuclear power station in which the reaction that produces energy is not made slower ft if!; ft

fas ten CH* /'faisn; NAmE 'faesn/ verb

■ ~ (sth) (up) to close or join together the two parts of sth; to become closed or joined together ( ft W nPft ,)

, iuM BQ3DOUP: [VN] Fasten your seatbelts, please. 0 He fastened up his

coat and hurried out. ft Jp Kf X tfc fct} ft T ₀ 0 [V] The dress fastens at the back.

Ri)₀ PTUa unfasten 2 to close sth firmly so that it will not open; to be closed in this way ( ft ) :

[VN] Fasten the gates securely so that they do not blow open. ft X H R if lit & ft jxl ft JF ₀ 0 [V] The window

wouldn’t fasten. & J|} H ft ft ft ft „ PTJ-3 unfasten

1 [VN +adv./prep.] to fix or place sth in a particular position, so that it will not move ft ft g]; ft gift: He fastened back the shutters, fife jfi ¥£ tif ft ^ „

2 [VN] ~ A to B | - A and B (together) to attach or tie

one thing to another thing ( ftW#! ) ^ft, ftft, ft, ft ft: He fastened the papers together with a paper clip. ftft JCf^o 5 if you fasten your arms

around sb, your teeth into sth, etc., or if your arms, teeth, etc. fasten around, into, etc. sb/sth, you hold the person/thing firmly with your arms, etc. lift; HI ft; n&ft: [VN] The dog fastened its teeth in his leg.

ir fife (ft Mo O [v] His hand fastened on her arm. ft ft#ft ft HI ft ft If o 6 if you fasten your eyes on sb/sth

or your eyes fasten on sb/sth, you look at them for a long time BTft: [VN] He fastened his gaze on her face, ft BTirft(HJfl&o [also V] 'fasten on(to) sb/sth to

choose or follow sb/sth in a determined way M ft ;

HTM latch on to

sb/sth

fas-ten-er /'faisna(r); NAmE 'faes-/ (also fas-ten-ing) noun a device, such as a button or a zip/zipper, used to close a piece of clothing; a device used to close a window, suitcase, etc. tightly £Eft; ftH; ft# fas ten ing /'faisnir); NAmE 'fees-/ noun 1 = fastener

■ the place where sth, especially a piece of clothing,

fastens; the way sth fastens ( ) ft ft, ft

ft : The trousers have a fly fastening. fk I# # JH ifr