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Shut vs Latch - What's the difference?

shut | latch |

As verbs the difference between shut and latch

is that shut is to close, to stop from being open while latch is to close or lock as if with a latch.

As nouns the difference between shut and latch

is that shut is the act or time of shutting; close while latch is a fastening for a door that has a bar that fits into a notch or slot, and is lifted by a lever or string from either side.

As an adjective shut

is closed.

shut

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) shutten, shetten, from (etyl) .

Verb

  • To close, to stop from being open.
    • Please shut the door.
    The light was so bright I had to shut my eyes.
  • To close, to stop being open.
    • If you wait too long, the automatic door will shut .
  • (transitive, or, intransitive, chiefly, British) To close a business temporarily, or (of a business) to be closed.
    • The pharmacy is shut on Sunday.
  • To preclude; to exclude; to bar out.
  • * Dryden
    • shut from every shore
    Usage notes
    Except when part of one of the derived terms listed below, almost every use of shut'' can be replaced by ''close''. The reverse is not true -- there are many uses of ''close'' that cannot be replaced by ''shut .
    Derived terms
    (phrasal verbs derived from shut) * shut away * shut down * shut in * shut off * shut out * shut up (single words and compounds derived from shut) * shutdown, shut-down * shut-eye * shut-in * shutout, shut-out * shutter (idioms derived from shut) * open and shut * shut one's eyes to * shut the door on * shut up shop * shut your face * shut your mouth * shut your trap

    Adjective

    (-)
  • closed

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act or time of shutting; close.
    • the shut of a door
  • * Milton
    • Just then returned at shut of evening flowers.
  • A door or cover; a shutter.
    • (Sir Isaac Newton)
  • The line or place where two pieces of metal are welded together.

    • Etymology 2

    Variation of (chute) or (shute) (archaic, related to (shoot)) from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A narrow alley]] or [[passageway, passage acting as a short cut through the buildings between two streets.
    • Synonyms
    * (alleyway) alley, gennel (Northern Ireland), ginnel (Yorkshire and Lancashire), gitty (East Midlands), jitty (Midlands), passage, snicket (Northern England), wynd (Scotland)

    Anagrams

    * * * * English ergative verbs English irregular verbs Regional English

    latch

    English

    (wikipedia latch)

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) .

    Noun

    (es)
  • A fastening for a door that has a bar that fits into a notch or slot, and is lifted by a lever or string from either side.
  • * 1912 : (Edgar Rice Burroughs), (Tarzan of the Apes), Chapter 4
    • The cleverly constructed latch which Clayton had made for the door had sprung as Kerchak passed out; nor could the apes find means of ingress through the heavily barred windows.
  • A flip-flop electronic circuit
  • (obsolete) A latching.
  • (obsolete) A crossbow.
  • (obsolete) That which fastens or holds; a lace; a snare.
    • Derived terms
    * on the latch

    Verb

    (es)
  • To close or lock as if with a latch
  • To catch; lay hold of
  • :* Where hearing should not latch them. — Shakespeare, MacBeth , Act IV
    • Derived terms
    * latch on * latch on to * latch onto

    Etymology 2

    Compare (etyl) .

    Verb

    (es)
  • (obsolete) To smear; to anoint.
    • (Shakespeare)