hasp

American  

[hasp] / hæsp /

noun

1. a clasp for a door, lid, etc., especially one passing over a staple and fastened by a pin or a padlock.

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verb (used with object)

1. to fasten with or as with a hasp.

hasp British  

/ hɑːsp /

noun

1. a metal fastening consisting of a hinged strap with a slot that fits over a staple and is secured by a pin, bolt, or padlock

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verb

1. (tr) to secure (a door, window, etc) with a hasp

Etymology

Origin of hasp

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hæsp, hæpse; cognate with German Haspe hasp; akin to Dutch haspel reel, Old Norse hespa skein, hasp

Explanation

A hasp is part of a latch or lock. Most hasps are flat metal plates with a hinge, often including a metal loop that a lock fits through. If you've ever used a padlock, you've also used a hasp (probably without knowing what to call it). The metal plate that opens and closes and is held shut once you insert your padlock? That's a hasp! Hasp is a verb too, meaning "lock by securing a hasp," although it's rarely used today. The origin of this word isn't clear, but we know it's related to the Norse hespa, "fastening."

Example Sentences

After an hour searching dusty corridors, I found a door with a smart padlock and the remains of a hasp lying on the floor beside it.

From Nature • May 19, 2020

And then Matt hears the sound of the window hasp being turned and the sound of the window opening.

From The Guardian • Oct. 31, 2019

If anyone had seen that the hasp lock was shut when the fire was put out, then that would prove that the boys had been locked in the shed, almost certainly by Graf.

From Slate • Aug. 15, 2015

The garage door wasn’t locked; Gibson had the padlock on the door, but not through the hasp.

From Washington Times • Dec. 24, 2014

It bounced off, lodging deep between the hasp and the woodwork.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques