I. ˈhich verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Middle English hytchen
transitive verb
1. : to move with jerks or jerkily
hitching his chair closer to the table
2.
a. : to catch or fasten by or as if by a hook or a knot
hitched his horse to the top rail of the fence
b. : to connect (a vehicle or implement) with a source of motive power
hitch a rake to a tractor
or to attach (a source of motive power) to a vehicle or instrument
hitch the horses to the wagon
c. slang : to join in marriage
3. : to introduce into a literary work especially irrelevantly or by obvious straining
can't avoid hitching in a word or two about personal responsibility
4. : hitchhike
could hitch a ride on their trucks — Dillon Ripley
intransitive verb
1. : to move interruptedly or with halts and jerks usually due to an obstruction or impediment : hobble
hitched slowly along on his cane
2.
a. : to become entangled or made fast : become linked or yoked
presumably these infinitesimal particles hitched together to become matter
b. slang : to become joined in marriage — often used with up
decided to hitch up
3. : hitchhike
could not risk hitching back — James Jones
•
- hitch horses
II. noun
( -es )
1. : a sudden movement or pull : jerk , twitch
gave his trousers a hitch
2.
a. : hobble , limp
a hitch in his gait
b. dialect : crick
had a hitch in his back
3. : a sudden halt or stop (as from an accident) : entanglement , obstruction , stoppage , impediment
a hitch in the performance
4. : the act or fact of catching hold of or on something (as a hook)
5. : a connection between a vehicle or implement and a detachable source of motive power (as a tractor or a horse)
6. slang : a period of military service ; broadly : a sharply delimited period in one's life
served a three-year hitch in prison
put in a hitch with the diplomatic service after leaving the army
7. : a recess cut in rock to support the end of a timber in mining or tunneling operations
8. : any of various knots used to form a temporary loop or noose in a line or to secure a line temporarily to an object ; sometimes : half hitch
9. : hitchhike , lift 5b
get a hitch into town — Irwin Shaw
III. noun
( -es )
Etymology: origin unknown
: a minnow ( Lavinia exilicauda ) with silvery sides and dark back that occurs in streams about San Francisco and Monterey and reaches a length of 12 inches