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

Example Sentences

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

Yard waste is defined as leaves, pine needles, pinecones, acorns, twigs, dead plant matter and thatch. —courant.com, 2 Apr. 2021

Unless your lawn is especially prone to thatch, don't bag your grass clippings. —Mia Taylor, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2022

This shelter can be thatched with grass or mats, or it can be buried with a thick coat of leaf litter. —Popular Science, 28 May 2020

Their eyelids are thatched with the loveliest lashes God ever loomed. —Ron Charles, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2019

The entrance usually faced the sea, the roof was thatched, and walls and floors were made from split bamboo that allowed breezes to move freely in and out. —Scientific American, 25 Mar. 2020

Even their houses are often made of cross-thatched bamboo. —National Geographic, 22 Jan. 2020

The lodge can accommodate up to 34 guests in its range of manor suites and thatched-roof cottages that face a tranquil river and brilliant red rocks where zebras roam. —Karen Carmichael, National Geographic, 9 Dec. 2019

Visit the Cliffs of Moher, chat with locals over a traditional Irish breakfast, and wander past thatched-roof homes lining cobblestoned streets. —National Geographic, 30 Sep. 2019

Noun

Those knifelike blades cut through the sod and pull out thatch. —Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2023

This aids in the decomposition of thatch. —Melissa Nott, chicagotribune.com, 28 Mar. 2021

The roofs were thatch. —Longreads, 5 Feb. 2021

His hearing has mostly absented itself but his thatch of grey hair is very present; his voice retains its richness with a hint of speech impediment around the Rs. —Belinda Luscombe, Time, 2 Oct. 2022

Leaving the traditional Tahitian thatch roofs and soaring wood beam ceilings intact, Robin and his jazz singer husband, Olaf Olsen, took on the interior decoration themselves, filling the rooms with a playful blend of Polynesian art and French antiques. —April Long, Town & Country, 13 June 2022

There are numerous causes for excessively thick thatch. —Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2023

Some trainees drip too much fuel, sloshing unburned liquids around and some are having trouble getting the thatch to catch. —Dennis Pillion | [e-mail], al, 12 Feb. 2023

Rope-and-thatch pergolas enshroud the outdoor dining and lounge space with fire features. —Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Jan. 2023

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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)