: 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
riveted; riveting; rivets
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
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
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
The boot introduces new design elements including a backstrap, clip and metal loop rivet offering fans more opportunities for personalization.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
The Adelsons’ involvement in the murder case’s tangled web has riveted those in the state capital — and thousands of internet true crime sleuths — for nearly a decade.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rivet
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Noun
The bottoms also have flat rivets at the back and watch pocket, single needle stitching construction, back darter risers, and three-point belt loops for a sleek look.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
The boot introduces new design elements including a backstrap, clip and metal loop rivet offering fans more opportunities for personalization.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
While millions are riveted by Sunday’s seven-minute jewelry heist of Napoleonic jewels at the Louvre, another major sizable snatching, the 1990 break-in at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, resurfaced in the news in a different way.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
The Adelsons’ involvement in the murder case’s tangled web has riveted those in the state capital — and thousands of internet true crime sleuths — for nearly a decade.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rivet
Cite this Entry
“Rivet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rivet. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rivet
1 of 2 noun
riv·et
ˈriv-ət 
: a metal bolt with a head at one end 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
2 of 2 verb1
: to fasten with or as if with rivets
2
: to attract and hold (as one's attention) completely
riveter
noun
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