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

Expansive overwater, beach, and hilltop villas have thatched roofs, glass bottoms, plush four-poster beds, private pools, and stylish driftwood furniture. —Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2024

This centuries-old eelgrass thatching technique will restore and protect the historic windswept home framed with the wood of shipwrecks for another 350 years. —Anna Fiorentino, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024

Noun

Lawn aeration is one of the most beneficial fall tasks that result in improved grass root growth and reduction in thatch, the layer of decomposing roots and stems that leads to less water penetration and shallow grass rooting. —Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 1 Oct. 2024

One inch or less of thatch is not a problem, but if there's more than that, your lawn will benefit from removing some. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 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)