Forms: 1 læcc(e)an, ʓelæcc(e)an, Northumb. læcca, 3 Orm. lacchenn, 3–4 (6) lache, 3–4 lacche, 4 lach, (lachche, laache, lachi), 4–5 lachen, 6 latche, (Sc. lauch), 6– latch. Pa. t. α. 1 (ʓe-)læht(e, Northumb. (ʓe)lahte, 3 laht(e, 3–4 laght, lauȝt(e, (3 lahut, 4 laught, lauȝtte, lauht, laute, lawte, lawght, leȝte), 4–5 laȝt. β. 4 lached, Sc. lacht, 7 latcht, 7– latched. Pa. pple. α. 1 (ʓe-)læht, 3 lah(h)t, laȝt, 4 lauht, laught(e, 4–5 lauȝte, 5 laȝt, laght(e, y-lauȝthe. β. 4 lachched, lached, 6 Sc. lachit, 4, 7– latched. [OE. læcc(e)an (Northumb. læcca) wk. vb.; not found in the other Teut. langs.; the OTeut. type *lakk- may represent either pre-Teut. *laqn- cogn. w. L. laqueus (see LACE sb.), OSl. lęca to catch, ensnare, po-lęcĭ snare, or *lagn- cogn. w. Gr. λάζεσθαι (:—*lagy-) to take.]
† 1. trans. To take hold of, grasp, seize (esp. with the hand or claws); to clasp, embrace (with the arms). Also intr. or absol. with at, on, till. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 122. Germanus ʓelæhte ðone pistol æt Gregories ærendracan, and hine totær.
c. 1160. Hatton Gosp., Mark ix. 18. Se swa hwær he hine læcd [Ags. Gosp. ʓelæcð] forgnit hine.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 102. Hweðer þe cat of helle claurede…, & cauhte [v.rr. lahte, lachte], mid his cleafres, hir heorte heaued?
a. 1225. Juliana, 38. Þis eadie meiden … þen engel leop to ant lahte him.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2621. A fostre wimman, On was tette he sone aueð laȝt.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7240. Quils sampson slepped, sco laght a schere, His hare sco kerf.
13[?]. Parlt. thre Ages, 52. Bot at the laste he loutted doun & laughte till his mete.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 328. Lyȝtly lepez he hym to, & laȝt at his honde.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, I. iii. (Skeat), l. 51. Then were there inowe to lache myne handes, and drawe me to shippe.
c. 1400. St. Alexius (Laud 622), 219. And whan he [Alexius] seide had al his wille þe holy gost hir lauȝtte.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 827. And I in armus had y-lauȝthe That commely and swete.
† b. To grasp with the mind, to comprehend.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., viii. (Z.), 23. Ðis þing ic ʓelæhte.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 243. Horn in herte laȝte Al þat he him taȝte.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, Barnabas, 140. And fra Barnabas had tauchte Þe trewcht to hyme, he it sone lacht.
† c. To pull or strike swiftly off, out, up; to dart out (the tongue). Also fig. Obs.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 9. Lahte ut his tunge swa long þat he swong hire al abuten his swire, ant semde as þa ha scharp sweord of his muð lahte.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 425. Now lorde lach out my lyf, hit lastes to longe.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1244. Þanne liȝtly lep he a-doun & lauȝt out his brond. Ibid., 2308. Our wurþi werwolf … lauȝt vp þe ȝong lyoun liȝtly in his mouþe.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 1515. Þay ledde hym furthe in þe rowte, and lached ofe his wedes.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg., 76. For deeþ his swerd out haþ lauȝte.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (1858), I. 383. Helme and hewmont wer hewin in schunder, Lymnis war lachit hard of be the kne.
† 2. To take with force; to capture, seize upon (a person or his goods). Obs.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark xiv. 48. Allsuæ to ðeafe ʓie foerdon mið suordum et stengum … to læccane mec.
c. 1000. Ags. Laws, Instit. Polity, § 19 (Th.), II. 328. Hi … læccað of manna beʓeatum hwæt hi ʓefon maʓan.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6766. If I giue þe for to kepe Ox or ass … And it wit wiþerwin be laght. Ibid., 7928. For to spar his aun aght þis pouer mans scep he laght.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. III. 215. And if ȝe lacche lyere let hym nat a-skapie. Ibid. (1399), Rich. Redeles, II. 159. The knyttis … That rentis and robis with raveyn evere lauȝte.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (1858), I. 277. The Romanis fled … thai war lachit at the last.
† b. To catch (with a snare, net, etc.). Obs.
c. 1200. Ormin, 13474. To lacchenn him wiþþ spelless nett To brinngenn himm to Criste.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1057. Lim and grinei … Sette and lede the for to lacche.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 29532. Ar þou be laght in findes snarr.
c. 1350. Leg. Cathol., Pope Gregory, 17. Out of an abbay thai weren ysent With nettes … To lache fische.
3. To catch (something falling); to catch or receive in (a receptacle). Obs. exc. dial.
1530. Palsgr., 604/1. I latche, I catche a thyng that is throwen to me in my handes … je happe. If I had latched the potte betyme, it had nat fallen to the grounde.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., March, 94. Tho pumie stones I hastly hent And threwe; but nought availed: He … oft the pumies latched.
1600. Holland, Livy, 161. Some latch the firebrands as they flew. Ibid. (1601), Pliny, I. 301. Vnlesse there be good heed taken that the eggs be latched in some soft bed vnderneath, they are soone broken.
1639. Horn & Robotham, Gate Lang. Unl., xxxv. § 415. A dairy-maid milketh out milk latching it in a milk-paile. Ibid., xli. § 445. The droppings, or any thing else spilt by chance, is latcht in a latch-pan.
1787. W. Marshall, Norfolk (1795), II. 383. To Latch, to catch as water, &c.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Latch, to catch what falls.
4. To be the recipient of, to get; to receive (a name, gift; a blow, injury); to catch, take (a disease). Obs. exc. dial.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 19038. Þai þat had hus or ani aght Þai sald þam and þe pris laght, Be-for þe apostels fete it broght.
c. 1300. Havelok, 744. The stede of Grim the name laute.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 94. Þe kyng stode ouer nehi, þe stroke he lauht so smerte. Ibid., 332. Þe erle of Arundelle his londes lauht he þan. Ibid., Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8813. Þo þat were seke, or had laught skaþes.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 40. For we ben hid in oure holis or we harm laache.
1340–70. Alisaunder, 4. Lordes, and ooþer … þat boldely thinken … For to lachen hem loose.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. II. 101. Thei shoulde … neuere leue for loue in hope to lacche seluer.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 3230. For nowther of tham na woundes laght.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VIII. Prol. 27. All leidis langis in land to lauch quhat thaim leif is.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., cxiii. Mine eye … no forme deliuers to the heart Of bird, of flowre, or shape which it doth latch.
a. 1603. T. Cartwright, Confut. Rhem. N. T. (1618), 306. They should haue warded and latched the enemies strokes.
1605. Shaks., Macb., IV. iii. 192. I haue words That would be howl’d out in the desert ayre Where hearing should not latch them.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., IX. i. The Bridegroom Sunne … Leaves his star-chamber … His shines the Earth soon latcht to gild her flowers.
1649. Bp. Hall, Cases Consc., II. x. (1650), 155. A man that latches the weapon in his own body to save his Prince.
c. 1655. Loveday, Lett. (1659), 47. My first request then is, that if you latch any news that [etc.] … you will not grudge to send it me.
1875. Lanc. Gloss., s.v., To latch a distemper.
† b. In ME. poetry often used (esp. for alliteration) in various senses of TAKE; e.g., in phrases to latch delight, to latch one’s ease, one’s leave. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2445. To pastur commun þai laght þe land Þe quilk þam neiest lay to hand. Ibid., 4999. Þair leue þai laght. Ibid., 10778. Þan was þe mai ioseph bi-taght, And he has hir in spusail laght.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1676. For-þy þow lye in þy loft, & lach þyn ese.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 1128. To loue þe lombe his meyny in melle, I-wysse I laȝt a gret delyt.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVII. 148. The sone that sent was til erthe … and mankynde lauȝte. Ibid., C. IV. 26. Whenne thei had lauht here leue at þys lady mede.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13360. Euery lede to the lond laghtyn þere gayre.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3861. He … Þoȝt þare a longe quile to lie & lachen his esee.
† 5. To reach, get to (land, a destination); to take, ‘get on’ (the water, way). Obs.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 120. With hors & herneis Bristow has scho latched.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 750. Launchez lede apone lufe, lacchene þer depez.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5702. And who þat lacchit the lond with the lyf þen, Were … tyrnet to dethe. Ibid., 12483. Thus the lordes in hor longyng laghton þe watur.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 2025. Fra his lord the way he laght.
6. intr. To alight, settle. dial.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Latch,… to alight. Ex. ‘He will always latch on his legs.’
1847. Halliwell, Latch, to light or fall. Suffolk. Kennet gives these meanings as current in Durham.
1871. East Anglian, IV. 111. The Golden crested Wren, often caught by the hand while ‘latching’ in the rigging.
