fetch

1 of 3

verb

fetched; fetching; fetches

transitive verb

1
a
: to go or come after and bring or take back
fetch a doctor
b
: derive, deduce
fetch analogies from nature
2
a
: to cause to come
one shot fetched down
b
: to bring in (a price or similar return) : realize
The hogs fetched a good price at the market.
c
: interest, attract
… he doesn't fetch the girls like William …D. H. Lawrence
3
a
: to give (a blow) by striking : deal
fetch him a clip on the chin
b
chiefly dialectal : bring about, accomplish
c(1)
: to take in : draw
sat fetching her breath in dry sobsNgaio Marsh
(2)
: to bring forth : heave
fetch a sigh
4
a
: to reach by sailing especially against the wind or tide
fetch the harbor before the storm breaks
b
: to arrive at : reach
fetched home after a long ride

intransitive verb

1
: to get and bring something
specifically : to retrieve killed game
2
: to take a roundabout way : circle
3
a
: to hold a course on a body of water
fetch to windward
b
: veer
fetcher noun

fetch

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
2
: an act or instance of fetching
3
a
: the distance along open water or land over which the wind blows
b
: the distance traversed by waves without obstruction

fetch

3 of 3

noun (2)

Examples of fetch in a Sentence

Verb If you throw the ball the dog will fetch it. Hunting dogs are trained to fetch. This table should fetch quite a bit at auction. The house fetched more than we expected.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The yellow spyder is one of the rarest examples of the vehicle and, based on early bidding, looks set to fetch a hefty sum. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 Not like now, when parents can be arrested for letting their child walk to the store to fetch a doughnut or play, momentarily unsupervised, at the local playground. Pamela Paul, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 The 800,000 square foot indoor Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale that opened in 1980 was listed for sale in November as a potential redevelopment site and may fetch over $100 million, The Real Deal reported. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 The price of deer and elk antlers has climbed steadily in recent decades, with prime elk sheds fetching around $20 a pound, according to one antler buyer based in Colorado who spoke with Outdoor Life in 2022. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024 Challenges such as inadequate access to safe water and sanitation make the situation worse, causing girls to frequently miss school for reasons like menstruation and the need to travel long distances to fetch safe water for their families. Keeley Teslik, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 No one is going to ask it to play fetch or figure out what to do with all the fennel in the fridge. David Berreby, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 Patek Philippe pocket watch A modern pocket watch from Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe can already fetch quite a pretty penny. Madeline Boardman, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024 But a similar estate on nearby Meadow Lane recently fetched $112 million. Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Profile: Baron is a canine athlete, who likes all kinds of recreation, including fetch, tug-o-war, and running in open spaces. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 Bellatrix Bellatrix enjoys all the canine classics: playing fetch, running, and chasing tennis balls. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024 However, the Ubisoft-esque map that's filled with fetch and dungeon quests that opens up to even more of the same wears on you after a while. Chris Stobing, PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2024 Other options: one-on-one cuddle/story time, fetch, toy time. Matt Keenan, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 The weekend’s other new release couldn’t make fetch happen. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 Jan. 2024 Another important factor is the fetch – or the distance that wind travels over water. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 Dogs aren’t the only pets that like to play fetch—some cats do too, according to new research. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023 Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion teamed up on a new song that is so fetch. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 15 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fetch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

Middle English fecchen, from Old English fetian, feccan; perhaps akin to Old English fōt foot — more at foot

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1787, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fetch was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fetch

Cite this Entry

“Fetch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetch. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fetch

verb
ˈfech
1
: to go after and bring back
2
: to cause to come : bring forth
3
: to bring as a price : sell for
fetcher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fetch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!