latch
A latch is a piece of hardware that keeps a door or a box closed.
- The latch on the shed has a lock on it.
- The latch on the toolbox is open.
- In order to carry the toolbox, you have to close both of the latches.
- The latch on a kitchen cabinet keeps the cabinet door closed.
When the word “latch” is used as a verb, it means that something or someone is very close, holding on, or sucking. The preposition “on” is usually used with “latch” to form the verb phrase, “latch on.”
- The little boy latched on to his mother’s neck and would not let go.
- A leech will latch on to your skin when it’s underwater and suck blood out of your body.
- A baby latches on to his mother’s breast for milk.
- Dan in an unpaid intern at a radio station. He’s trying to latch on to a job as an announcer.