What does "latch" mean?
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.
Latch
/læt͡ʃ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: 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.
- Grammar: latch is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adhere to, adopt, articulate, attach.
- Useful contrasts: combinational circuit, deadbolt, deadbolts.
- Usage evidence: Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up.
How to use "latch"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "latch" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "latch" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "latch" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "latch" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "latch" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adhere to" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "latch", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
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 Acronym of lower anchors and tethers for children. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, uncountable
- 3 catch for fastening a door or gate; a bar that can be lowered or slid into a groove wordnet
- 4 An electronic circuit that is like a flip-flop, except that it is level triggered instead of edge triggered.
- 5 spring-loaded doorlock that can only be opened from the outside with a key wordnet
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A latching. obsolete
- 7 A crossbow. obsolete
- 8 That which fastens or holds; a lace; a snare. obsolete
"Love will none other birde catch, Though he set either nette or latch"
- 9 A breastfeeding baby's connection to the breast.
- 10 A lightweight lock to protect internal structures from being modified by multiple concurrent accesses.
Verb
- 1 To close or lock as if with a latch.
- 2 To smear; to anoint. obsolete
"But hast thou yet latch'd the Athenian's eyes With the love-juice , as I did bid thee do?"
- 3 fasten with a latch wordnet
- 4 To catch; lay hold of. transitive
"Where hearing should not latch them."
- 5 To use a latch (kind of lightweight lock).
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To connect to the breast.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "latch"?
Common synonyms include: adhere to, adopt, articulate, attach, bang, bar.
How do you use "latch" in a sentence?
Pull the bobbin, and the latch will go up.
How do you pronounce "latch"?
Pronounced /læt͡ʃ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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”).
Etymology 2
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.
Etymology 3
Compare French lécher (“to lick”).