latch

verbnounverbattested in dialogue

//læt͡ʃ//

To close or lock as if with a latch.

verb

1
To close or lock as if with a latch.
2
To catch; lay hold of.
Where hearing should not latch them.
3
To use a latch (kind of lightweight lock).
4
To connect to the breast.

Etymology

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”).

noun

1
A fastening for a door that has a bar that fits into a notch or slot, and is lifted by a lever or string from either side.
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.
2
An electronic circuit that is like a flip-flop, except that it is level triggered instead of edge triggered.
3
obsoleteA latching.
4
obsoleteA crossbow.
5
obsoleteThat which fastens or holds; a lace; a snare.
Love will none other birde catch, Though he set either nette or latch
6
A breastfeeding baby's connection to the breast.
7
A lightweight lock to protect internal structures from being modified by multiple concurrent accesses.

Etymology

From Middle English latche, lacche (“a latch; a trap”), from lacchen (“to seize, catch, grasp”), from Old English læċċan (“to grasp, take hold of, catch, seize”). See above for more.

verb

1
obsoleteTo smear; to anoint.
But hast thou yet latch'd the Athenian's eyes With the love-juice , as I did bid thee do?

Etymology

Compare French lécher (“to lick”).

Forms

plural: latches
past tense: latched, laught
past participle: latched, laught
present participle: latching
third person singular: latches

Last · A surname.last-minute · Just before it is too late; in the nick of time.lasting · Persisting for an extended period of time.

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

late · Near the end of a period of time.late-night · Of, or related to the late night time.lately · Recently; not long ago; of late; not long since.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.