thatch

1 of 2

verb

ˈthach 

thatched; thatching; thatches

transitive verb

: to cover with or as if with thatch

thatcher noun

thatch

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a plant material (such as straw) used as a sheltering cover especially of a house

b

: a sheltering cover (such as a house roof) made of such material

c

: a mat of undecomposed plant material (such as grass clippings) accumulated next to the soil in a grassy area (such as a lawn)

2

: something likened to the thatch of a house

especially : the hair of one's head

Examples of thatch in a Sentence

Noun

Mice were living in the thatch of the roof.

We ate lunch in the shade under the thatch of a beachfront restaurant.

her thatch of dark brown hair

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

These include over 140 species traditionally used by the Chumash, such as tule grass for matting and thatching houses, and elderberries for crafting whistles and bows. —Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 June 2024

Each house except for a few lone contrarians is oriented east to west and thatched. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 June 2024

Noun

Take a look The first tomb was made of mudbrick with lower levels made from wood, thatch and clay and a natural soil floor, according to the study. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024

Half a millennium ago, in what is now Peru, the indigenous Uros people used thatches of reeds to build floating islets in Lake Titicaca, likely as a safe haven from Incan encroachment. —Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English thecchen, from Old English theccan to cover; akin to Old High German decchen to cover, Latin tegere, Greek stegein to cover, stegos roof, Sanskrit sthagati he covers

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

thatch

1 of 2 verb

ˈthach 

: to cover with or as if with thatch

thatch

2 of 2 noun

1

: a plant material (as straw) used to cover the roof of a building

2

: a mat of plant matter (as grass clippings) that has accumulated on the soil surface of a grassy area (as a lawn)