latch

(lăch)

1. A fastening, as for a door or gate, typically consisting of a bar that fits into a notch or slot and is lifted from either side by a lever or string.

2. A spring lock, as for a door, that is opened from the outside by a key.

v. latched, latch·ing, latch·es

v.tr.

To close or lock with a latch.

v.intr.

1. To have or be closed with a latch.

2. To shut tightly so that the latch is engaged: a door too warped to latch.

Idiom:

latch on to/onto

1. To get hold of; obtain: latched on to a fortune in the fur trade.

2. To cling to.

[Middle English latche, from lacchen, to seize, from Old English læccan.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

latch

(lætʃ)

1. (Mechanical Engineering) a fastening for a gate or door that consists of a bar that may be slid or lowered into a groove, hole, etc

2. (Mechanical Engineering) a spring-loaded door lock that can be opened by a key from outside

3. (Electronics) electronics Also called: latch circuit a logic circuit that transfers the input states to the output states when signalled, the output thereafter remaining insensitive to changes in input status until signalled again

(Mechanical Engineering) to fasten, fit, or be fitted with or as if with a latch

[Old English læccan to seize, of Germanic origin; related to Greek lazesthai]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

latch

(lætʃ)
n.

1. a device for holding a door, gate, or the like closed, usu. a bar falling or sliding into a catch, groove, hole, etc.

v.t.

2. to close or fasten with a latch.

v.i.

3. to close tightly so that the latch is secured.

4. latch on, to grab hold.

5. latch onto,

a. to obtain.

b. to attach oneself to.

[before 950; Middle English lacchen, Old English lǣccan to catch, seize]

latch

- Once was a loop or noose; a latch of links was a string of sausages.

latch

noun

1. fastening, catch, bar, lock, hook, bolt, clamp, hasp, sneck (dialect) You left the latch off the gate and the dog escaped.

verb

1. fasten, bar, secure, lock, bolt, make fast, sneck (dialect) He latched the door, tested it and turned round to speak to us.

latch on to something understand, get, see, follow, realize, take in, grasp, comprehend, get the message about, get the hang of (informal), get the picture about, catch or get the drift of Other trades have been quick to latch on to these methods.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

سُقّاطَه، مِزْلاج

závora

slå

Schnappschloss

gâchette loquet

kilincs

klinka, loka

saliscendi afferrare catenaccio chiavistello chiudere col chiavistello

velkė

aizšaujamaisbulta

klink

ригель щеколда

kapı mandalımandal

门插销门闩

latch

[lætʃ]

A. N (= bar) → cerrojo m, pestillo m; (= lock) → pestillo m
to drop the latch → echar el cerrojo or pestillo
the door is on the latch → la puerta no tiene echado el pestillo

B. VT

1. [+ door] → echar el pestillo a

2. (= fix, fasten) → sujetar, asegurar

latch on VI + ADV (= understand) → comprender, darse cuenta

latch onto VI + PREP

1. (= cling) (to person, group) → pegarse a
she latched onto his arm → se enganchó a su brazo

2. [+ idea] → agarrarse a
the media were quick to latch onto the story → la prensa no tardó en recoger la noticia

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

latch

[ˈlætʃ] n → loquet m
on the latch
The door's on the latch → La porte n'est pas fermée à clé.
Let yourself in; the door's on the latch → Entrez, la porte n'est pas fermée à clé.
to leave the door off the latch → ne pas fermer sa porte a clé

latch on to

vt fus

(= attach oneself to) [person] → jeter son dévolu sur
She wondered why Lindy had latched on to her, a stranger → Elle se demandait pourquoi Lindy avait jeté son dévolu sur elle, une étrangère.

(= attach itself to) [substance, antibody] → se fixer sur

(= get interested in) [+ idea] → se jeter sur

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

latch

n → Riegel m; to be on the latch → nicht verschlossen sein, nur eingeklinkt sein; to leave the door on the latch → die Tür nur einklinken

vt → verriegeln

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

latch

[lætʃ] n (metal bar) → chiavistello; (lock) → serratura a scatto
the door is on the latch → la porta non è chiusa a chiave

latch on to vi + adv + prep

a. (cling to, person) → attaccarsi a, appiccicarsi a

b. (idea) → afferrare, capire

latch

(lӕtʃ) noun

a catch of wood or metal used to fasten a door etc. She lifted the latch and walked in.

ˈlatchkey noun

a small front-door key. She put her latchkey in the lock.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

'Lift the latch,' called out the grandmother, 'I am too weak, and cannot get up.'

View in context

Tom went to the door and began to softly lift the latch; then he pressed gently and the door yielded a crack; he con- tinued pushing cautiously, and quaking every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze through on his knees; so he put his head through and began, warily.

View in context

Sometimes, after coming home thus late in a dark and muggy night, when my feet felt the path which my eyes could not see, dreaming and absent-minded all the way, until I was aroused by having to raise my hand to lift the latch, I have not been able to recall a single step of my walk, and I have thought that perhaps my body would find its way home if its master should forsake it, as the hand finds its way to the mouth without assistance.

View in context

Harker started to leave, but paused, with his hand on the door latch. The habit of his profession was strong in him--stronger than his sense of personal dignity.

View in context

As he approached the cabin and raised the crude latch which his father had fashioned so many years before, two small, blood-shot eyes watched him from the concealing foliage of the jungle close by.

View in context

The process of learning, which consists in the acquisition of habits, has been much studied in various animals.* For example: you put a hungry animal, say a cat, in a cage which has a door that can be opened by lifting a latch; outside the cage you put food.

View in context

John Rivers, who, lifting the latch, came in out of the frozen hurricane--the howling darkness--and stood before me: the cloak that covered his tall figure all white as a glacier.

View in context

After a few moments he drew back the latch and slipped out, shutting the door very gently behind him.

View in context

As the Makambo rolled on an easy sea the door swung back and forth, remaining wide open for intervals and banging shut but not banging hard enough to latch itself.

View in context

We heard the servant pass along the hall, and the sharp click of the latch as she opened it.

View in context

For eleven years, I had not seen Joe nor Biddy with my bodily eyes-though they had both been often before my fancy in the East-when, upon an evening in December, an hour or two after dark, I laid my hand softly on the latch of the old kitchen door.

View in context

An age of almost intolerable suspense intervened; then I heard it fumbling at the latch! It had found the door!

View in context

Noun	1.	latch - spring-loaded doorlock that can only be opened from the outside with a key door latch lock - a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed
	2.	latch - catch for fastening a door or gate; a bar that can be lowered or slid into a groove catch - a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window
Verb	1.	latch - fasten with a latch; "latch the door" fasten, fix, secure - cause to be firmly attached; "fasten the lock onto the door"; "she fixed her gaze on the man"