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Glite Dictionary
night latch

night latch

8.0
A lock on a door that you open inside by a knob and outside with a key
  • noun
  • /naɪt lætʃ/
  • UK
translation icon : cerradura de noche
  • You need a key to open the night latch from the outside.

Examples

  • The front door is fitted with a night latch for extra security.

  • I installed a new night latch on the front door.

  • He replaced the broken night latch with a new one.

  • The night latch keeps the door secure at night.

  • He secured the door by turning the night latch before going to bed.

  • The night latch on the back door is easy to operate from inside the house.

  • Make sure to lock the night latch when you leave for the weekend.

Synonyms

lock
vsnight latch
523 1.0

A device that holds doors or containers closed with a key

is specific to doors that use an inside knob and an outside key
latch
vsnight latch
49 2.6

A small metal part that holds a door or gate closed

is specifically made for doors and uses an inside knob plus outside key
door latch
vsnight latch
3 3.8

A device on a door that you open from the outside with a key

allows turning from inside by a knob rather than only outside key use
doorlock
vsnight latch
1.8

A thing on a door that stops people from opening it unless they have a key or code

is operated inside by a knob and from outside with a key

Surface Forms

night latch singular
night latches plural

Morphology

night + latch

The head noun 'latch' clearly indicates a mechanical fastener, and 'night' plausibly signals a security-related or time-of-use specialization, so a learner who knows both words can infer that this is a kind of lock used for security at night. However, the precise operational details (operated from the inside by a knob and from the outside with a key) are not predictable from the constituents alone, so the relation is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The term night latch comes from the simple image of a latch used at night to hold a door shut while people slept. So the phrase now means a small lock you can close from the inside and open from the outside with a key to keep the home 'secure'.