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.

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December 12, 2014