LATCH


Meaning of LATCH in English

I. ˈlach verb

( -ed/-ing/-es )

Etymology: Middle English lachen, lacchen, from Old English læccan; akin to Greek lambanein, lazesthai to take, grasp

intransitive verb

1.

a.

(1) : to lay hold especially with the hands or arms : grasp , seize , grapple

searching for crevices to latch upon — Norman Mailer

— usually used with on or onto

tractors latch on to remains of derrick and drilling tools — Irish Digest

latched onto a … pass — New Yorker

(2) : to gain or come into possession : get hold — usually used with on or onto

had latched on to 444,000 shares — Newsweek

can I latch on to some of your dough — C.O.Gorham

knew that he had latched on to a good thing — Philip Hamburger

(3) : to keep firm possession or grasp : hold — usually used with on or onto

you ought to know enough to latch onto your gear — John Hersey

b. : to gain understanding or comprehension : tumble — usually used with on

slow … in latching on to the notion that her husband's work is important — John McCarten

c. : to associate oneself closely or intimately : attach oneself — used with on or onto

I'd think he'd latch onto a girl like that — W.C.Fridley

nobody's latching onto me — Saul Levitt

latched onto this racket right under his nose — Harold Robbins

2. dialect England : alight

transitive verb

dialect Britain : catch , get , receive

II. noun

( -es )

Etymology: Middle English lache, lacche, from lachen, lacchen, v.

1. : a device that holds something in place by entering a notch or cavity ; specifically : the catch which holds a door or gate when closed even if not bolted

2. now dialect England : a loop or noose that fastens or holds : snare

3. : the hinged piece of a knitting-machine needle that holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop

III. verb

( -ed/-ing/-es )

transitive verb

: to catch or fasten by means of a latch

latch the door

intransitive verb

: to latch itself : shut so that the latch catches

will the door latch

IV.

variant of letch I

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.