latch

CEFRC1

/læt͡ʃ/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A small device used to keep a door or gate closed.

  2. 02

    verb

    To close or fasten something with a latch.

Examples

  • Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up.

  • The door is on the latch.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
4

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. To catch; lay hold of.

  2. To use a latch (kind of lightweight lock).

verb

Extra meaning

  1. To close or lock as if with a latch.

More examples

In context

  • The cleverly constructed latch which Clayton had made for the door had sprung as Kerchak passed out; nor could the apes find means of ingress through the heavily barred windows.

  • Where hearing should not latch them.

  • But hast thou yet latch'd the Athenian's eyes With the love-juice , as I did bid thee do?

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She pushed the door closed and then turned the metal blank to lock it.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English lacchen (“to seize, catch, grasp”, verb), from Old English læċċan (“to grasp, take hold of, catch, seize”), from Proto-Germanic *lakjaną, *lakwijaną, *lakkijaną (“to seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leh₂g-, *(s)leh₂gʷ- (“to take, seize”). Cognate with Middle Dutch lakken (“to grasp, catch”).