Clasp knife, a large knife, the blade of which folds or shuts into the handle. -- Clasp lock, a lock which closes or secures itself by means of a spring.
Clasp"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, clasps, as a tendril. "The claspers of vines." Derham.
2. (Zo÷l.) (a) One of a pair of organs used by the male for grasping the female among many of the Crustacea. (b) One of a pair of male copulatory organs, developed on the anterior side of the ventral fins of sharks and other elasmobranchs. See Illust. of ChimŠra.
Clasp"ered (?), a. Furnished with tendrils.
Class (kl&adot;s), n. [F. classe, fr. L. classis class, collection, fleet; akin to Gr. klh^sis a calling, kalei^n to call, E. claim, haul.] 1. A group of individuals ranked together as possessing common characteristics; as, the different classes of society; the educated class; the lower classes.
2. A number of students in a school or college, of the same standing, or pursuing the same studies.
3. A comprehensive division of animate or inanimate objects, grouped together on account of their common characteristics, in any classification in natural science, and subdivided into orders, families, tribes, genera, etc.