door latch
3
3.8
- noun
- /dɔr lætʃ/
:
cerradura de puerta
- At the rear of the house, I heard the refrigerator door latch shut with a muffled, furtive sound, and then something made of glass or china clinked but was instantly hushed.
- door latch click
- the door latch was defective
- grabbed the door latch
Examples
-
Petrovich laid his hand on the door latch, then stopped.
Fiction book (2001) -
Suddenly, a click: the washer door latch is released.
Fiction book (2002) -
The second Leah heard the door latch shut, she turned and fled.
Fiction book (2002) -
Mom yelled as he fumbled with his door latch.
Fiction book (2001) -
Primed to flee, Meredydd turned the door latch, then remembered the crystal.
Fiction book (1992) -
She tried to reach the door latch, but the cylindrical chamber was too narrow for her to bend double.
Fiction book (2001) -
Goodspeed grabs the Ferrarils cellular phone and tries the door latch.
Fiction book (1996) -
He craned his neck, as if watching the other man disappear along the corridor, then turned back to Fayth, his hand on the door latch.
Fiction book (2002) -
He grabbed his hat off the dash, worked the door latch, and stepped out quickly, standing on the gravel drive and breathing in the open air.
Fiction book (1995) -
He turned the key and heard the satisfying click of the door latch lock into place.
Synonyms
49
2.6
A small metal part that holds a door or gate closed
A lock on a door that you open inside by a knob and outside with a key
A lock you open by putting a key in and turning it
A thing on a door that stops people from opening it unless they have a key or code
How Secure
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is transparently compositional: 'door' (an entry) + 'latch' (a mechanical fastener) yields a fastener specifically for a door, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it secures or locks a door. Although the dictionary definition adds technical detail (spring-loaded, key operation), the core meaning is directly derivable and cross-linguistically common, making it understandable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Door latch comes from the simple tool that holds a door closed — the latch, a small bar or spring that stops the door from moving. So, 'door latch' now means the part that 'keeps a door shut' and can be opened from the outside with a key.