latch

verb (1)

\ ˈlach

latched; latching; latches

Definition of latch

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 : to lay hold with or as if with the hands or arms —used with on or onto

2 : to associate oneself intimately and often artfully —used with on or onto latched onto a rich widow

latch

noun

Definition of latch (Entry 2 of 3)

: any of various devices in which mating mechanical parts engage to fasten but usually not to lock something:

a : a fastener (as for a door) consisting essentially of a pivoted bar that falls into a notch

b : a fastener (as for a door) in which a spring slides a bolt into a hole also : night latch

latch

verb (2)

latched; latching; latches

Definition of latch (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

: to make fast with or as if with a latch

Examples of latch in a Sentence

Noun

He lifted the latch and opened the gate. I heard her key turn in the latch.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

People always told me to latch on to the things in my life and parts of myself that were unrelated to the eating disorder. — Seventeen Magazine, Seventeen, "How To Help A Friend Who Has An Eating Disorder," 28 Feb. 2012 Stella McCartney is the latest figure to latch on to Pip's rising star. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Glenn Close and Her Dog Pip Just Did a Photo Shoot for Stella McCartney," 7 Mar. 2019 When the entity escapes and latches itself to Tilly's arm, things get much more dire. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "'Star Trek: Discovery' Is All About Friendship and Death This Week," 8 Feb. 2019 Yet exclusive breastfeeding rates tend to drop off within the first six months of a baby’s life, due to the wide range of struggles a mom may encounter, from tongue ties to difficulty latching to, yes, low milk supply. — E.j. Dickson, Vox, "Inside the mommy-friendly, scientifically sketchy world of breastfeeding supplements," 20 Dec. 2018 In fact, breastfeeding was difficult for me because Avery had trouble latching. — Allison Berres, Good Housekeeping, "Breast-Reduction Surgery Made Me Feel More Sensual, Youthful, and Confident," 9 Nov. 2018 Carmack shouts at the pup, who is seen with his teeth latched around the screaming suspect. — Nicole Darrah, Fox News, "Florida K9 sinks teeth into escaping suspect on video," 6 Sep. 2018 As a freshman in 2015, an unsure Callahan latched on to then-senior and first-team All-County attacker Hannah Doughty for guidance. — Kyle Stackpole, Howard County Times, "Glenelg senior Anna Callahan seizes girls lacrosse Player of the Year honors," 12 June 2018 The last five spots have been up for grabs week-to-week, with few teams really latching on. — Molly Geary, SI.com, "Power Rankings: Duke and Kansas Losses Trigger Shakeups," 6 Feb. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The low-profile latches were incredibly easy to open. — Joe Jackson, Outside Online, "The Best Waterproof Gear Cases, Tested," 11 June 2018 Neither means of access is very convenient: the roll top requires two hands to manipulate the latch and then unroll all the material, while access via the TIZIP requires one hand to grasp the bag firmly while the other yanks the TIZIP open. — Thomas Ricker, The Verge, "‘The world’s most versatile waterproof backpack’ review," 20 Nov. 2018 In the case of French or double doors, FloridaDisaster.org advises installing additional barrel bolt latches that extend into the header and floor. — Fox News, "Hurricane Florence: How to prepare your home for the worst," 12 Sep. 2018 For doors with latches, levers require the least effort. — Sara Bliss, WSJ, "Renovation Strategies to Live at Home—Stylishly—Into Your 80s," 23 Aug. 2018 The second-row seats slide forward by a latch on the top of the seat. — Robert Duffer, chicagotribune.com, "2018 Volkswagen Atlas carries 3-row SUV class on its shoulders," 16 Jan. 2018 Over the course of the next hour, Parmitano maneuvered Cygnus carefully to the Earth-facing berthing port of the station's Harmony module, where latches locked it into place. — Michael Belfiore, Popular Mechanics, "Orbital Sciences' Cygnus Berths with Space Station," 30 Sep. 2013 The Pelican Vault cases have heavy-duty hinges, stainless steel lock hasps, and secure push-button latches. — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, "How to Choose the Best Gun Storage," 8 Aug. 2018 The insect's secret is a spring-latch system that allows it to store large amounts of energy and release it almost instantaneously. — Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, "Nature’s Mechanical Secrets Could Help Build Faster Robots," 26 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'latch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 May 2019

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Time Traveler for latch

The first known use of latch was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for latch

latch

noun

English Language Learners Definition of latch

: a device that holds a door, gate, or window closed and that consists of a bar that falls into a holder when it is closed and that is lifted when it is open

chiefly British : a type of door lock that can be opened from the inside by turning a lever or knob but can only be opened from the outside with a key

See the full definition for latch in the English Language Learners Dictionary

latch

noun

\ ˈlach