Rivet
/ˈrɪv.ɪt/noun
A short metal pin or bolt used to fasten pieces together, often by being hammered flat at one end.
Did you know?The English word comes through Old French from Latin roots meaning “to drive” or “push home,” and the same ancient family also gave us words connected to moving, urging, and even rebellion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reip-
“to drive, push, or strike”
Latin
Latin
rīvus
“stream, flow”
Old French
Old French
river / rivet
“to fasten with a rivet; a driven metal pin”
Middle English
English
rivet
“a metal pin for fastening”
Modern English
English
rivet
“a short metal fastener hammered flat at one end”