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latch

Pronunciation: /latʃ/

Translate latch | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of latch

noun

  • 1a metal bar with a catch and lever used for fastening a door or gate: lifting the latch, she pushed the gate open
  • a spring lock for an outer door, which catches when the door is closed and can only be opened from the outside with a key.
  • 2 Electronics a circuit which retains whatever output state results from a momentary input signal until reset by another signal.

verb

[with object]
  • 1fasten (a door or gate) with a latch:she latched the door carefully
  • 2 [no object] Electronics (of a device) become fixed in a particular state: the output relay can be set to latch at a preset value

Phrases

on the latch

British (of a door or gate) closed but not locked:let yourself in, the door’s on the latch

Phrasal Verbs

latch on

(of a breastfeeding baby) get its mouth into the correct position around the nipple: Jamie wasn’t latching on properly, and my nipple got sorer and sorer

latch on to

informal
  • 1attach oneself to (someone) as a constant and usually unwelcome companion:he spent the whole evening trying to latch on to my friends
  • take up (an idea or trend) enthusiastically:the newspapers latched on to the idea of healthy eating
  • British (of a football or rugby player) take advantage of (another player’s move) when attacking:Nevin latched on to a miscued header to smash home the winning goal
  • (of one substance) cohere with (another): the DNA chain latches on to its counterpart
  • 2understand the meaning of (something): [with clause]:she’ll soon latch on to what is happening

Origin:

Old English læccan 'take hold of, grasp (physically or mentally'), of Germanic origin

latch in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of latch in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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