Forms: 4–5 lach, lacch(e, 5–6 (7) lache, 5–6 latche, 6– latch. [The equivalence of sense 1 with LACE sb. suggests that the word (in that sense at least) may be a. OF. lache lace, a vbl. noun f. lachier (Central OF. lacier):—popular L. *laciāre, f. *lacium LACE sb. Sense 2 is prob. a development of this; on the other hand, the analogy of catch sb. gives some support to the view that it may be f. LATCH v.1]
1. A loop or noose; a gin, snare; a ‘tangle’; a latchet, thong. A latch of links: (dial.) a string of sausages. Obs. exc. dial. and techn.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 1624. Love wil noon other bridde cacche Though he sette either net or lacche.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, IV. 129. She [the ship] was fast in the latch of our cable, which in haste of weighing our anchor hung aloofe.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xxii. 79. All Scepters do serve but as latches to his most rich sandals.
1840. Spurdens, Suppl. to Forby (E.D.S.), Latch,… As a sb., it means a thong of leather.
1895. E. Angl. Gloss., Latch of Links, a string of sausages.
2. A fastening for a door or gate, so contrived as to admit of its being opened from the outside. It now usually consists of a small bar that falls or slides into a catch, and is lifted or drawn by means of a thumb-lever, string, etc., passed through the door. Now also, a small kind of spring-lock for a front-door (more fully night-laich) that is opened from the outside by means of a key. On the latch: (said of a door) fastened with a latch only; so off the latch, unlatched, ajar. Also with qualifying word, as dead-, night-, spring-, q.v.
1331. [? Implied by DRAW-LATCH 2].
1382. Wyclif, Song Sol. v. 6. The lach of my dore I openede to my lemman.
a. 1400. Pistill of Susan, 229. To þe ȝate ȝapely they ȝedyn … And he left up þe lacche.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., st. 732. And breke up bothe lok and lache.
c. 1440. Partonope, 5440. Vp she nome The lacch of the dore and in she come.
1520. [see CATCH sb.1 10].
1575. Gamm. Gurton, III. iii. Take heede, Cocke, pull in the latche!
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iv. 449. If euer henceforth, thou These rurall Latches, to his entrance open.
1624–5. in Swayne, Churchw. Acc. Sarum (1896), 180. A cache and a Lache for the Church gate.
1637. Heywood, Royall King, III. vii. Wks. 1874, VI. 47. Pray draw the latch, sir.
1765. Wesley, Jrnl., 25 May. The door [is] only on the latch.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Briery Creek, iii. 54. For want of a latch, the gate … was tied.
1842. Tennyson, Dora, 127. The door was off the latch: they peep’d and saw The boy set up betwixt his grandsire’s knees.
1851. Longf., Gold. Leg., II. In the Garden. To thee it [the thought of death] is not So much even as the lifting of a latch.
1885. Black, White Heather, ii. The outer door is on the latch, thieves being unheard of in this remote neighbourhood.
3. techn. † (a) The click of the ratchet-wheel of a loom (obs.). † (b.) See quot. 1704 (obs.). (c) Naut. = LASKET. (d) ‘A cord clamp which holds the in-board end of a mackerel-line’ (Knight, Dict. Mech., 1875). (e) The part of a knitting-machine needle that closes the hook to allow the loop to pass over its head (= FLY sb.2 5 f).
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 107/2. The Latch [of a Loome] is an Iron or peece of Wood that falls into the Catch of the Wheel aforesaid, which holds the Yarn Beam from turning.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Latches are those Parts of a Clock which [wind] up, and unlock the Work. Ibid. (1710), II. Latches, in a Ship, are the same with Laskets.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 1238/2. Two positions of the latch-needle: one with the latch lying back,… the other showing the hook closed by the latch.
† 4. Mil. Antiq. (See quots.) Obs.
1547–8. in Meyrick, Ant. Arm. (1824), III. 10. Crosse-bowes called latches, windlasses for them.
1786. Grose, Armour & Weapons, 59. There were two sorts of English cross bows, one called Latches, the other Prodds.
5. attrib. and Comb., as latch-hole; latch-like adj.; latch-closer, -lifter, -opener, devices for closing and opening the latch of a knitting-machine needle (Knight, Dict. Mech., 1875); † latch-drawer, one who draws or lifts the latch to enter for an unlawful purpose = DRAW-LATCH 2; latch-needle, a kind of knitting-machine needle, the hook of which is closed by a latch (see 3 e). Also LATCH-KEY, LATCH-STRING.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IX. 288. Lyers and *lacche-drawers.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 134. Lacche-drawerys, þat vndon mennys dorys.
1861. Geo. Eliot, Silas M., iv. Dunstan … pushed his fingers through the *latch-hole.
1894. Crockett, Raiders, 246. One that came to the door and spied upon me through the latch-hole.
1875. *Latch-needle [see 3].
