serrare

Serrare is an Italian transitive verb meaning to close tightly or to fasten securely by bringing parts together. It is used when describing closing doors, windows, chests, lids, or any mechanism designed to stay shut. The verb can also mean to seal or to tighten a fastening so that it remains secure, for example when a bolt, clamp, or screw is tightened.

In addition to its literal sense, serrare is used figuratively to indicate bringing things into a close, compact, or orderly state, such as “serrare le file” (to tighten the ranks) or “serrare i conti” (to settle the accounts). The term appears in contexts ranging from carpentry and mechanical work to strategy and organization.

Grammatical notes: serrare belongs to the first conjugation (-are). Examples of common forms include: present indicative io serro, tu serri, lui serra, noi serriamo, voi serrate, loro serrano; passato prossimo ho serrato; imperfetto serravo, serravi, serrava, serravamo, serravate, serravano; future sernerò (or noterai commonly written serrerò in standard Italian spelling), serrai, serrerà, serreremo, serrerete, serreranno; past participle serrato; gerundissimo serrando. The related nouns are serratura (lock), serraggio (tightening or clamping), and serrato (closed, ajar meaning tightly closed as an adjective).

See also: serratura, serraggio, serrato.