thatch

1 of 2

verb

thatched; thatching; thatches

transitive verb

: to cover with or as if with thatch
thatcher noun

thatch

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a plant material (such as straw) used as a sheltering cover especially of a house
b
: a sheltering cover (such as a house roof) made of such material
c
: a mat of undecomposed plant material (such as grass clippings) accumulated next to the soil in a grassy area (such as a lawn)
2
: something likened to the thatch of a house
especially : the hair of one's head

Examples of thatch in a Sentence

Noun Mice were living in the thatch of the roof. We ate lunch in the shade under the thatch of a beachfront restaurant. her thatch of dark brown hair
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The Rosewood property employs recycled plastic for all the thatching, reinforcing it with natural woods from the island. Alesandra Dubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Wear them while weeding, raking, planting, thatching, and scooping debris into yard waste bags to avoid punctures, scratches, splinters, and dirty fingernails. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Oct. 2023 Their former homes had thatched roofs that dispersed the heat and were sheltered by fruit trees, residents said. Lisa Song, ProPublica, 15 June 2023 Yard waste is defined as leaves, pine needles, pinecones, acorns, twigs, dead plant matter and thatch. courant.com, 2 Apr. 2021 Unless your lawn is especially prone to thatch, don't bag your grass clippings. Mia Taylor, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2022 This shelter can be thatched with grass or mats, or it can be buried with a thick coat of leaf litter. Popular Science, 28 May 2020 Their eyelids are thatched with the loveliest lashes God ever loomed. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2019 The entrance usually faced the sea, the roof was thatched, and walls and floors were made from split bamboo that allowed breezes to move freely in and out. Scientific American, 25 Mar. 2020
Noun
Dry grass also makes pulling up debris, whether that’s thatch or dead leaves, much easier as the rake tines will clog less frequently. Gabriel Morgan, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023 On that warm midsummer morning, Stoke Abbott was all biscuit-colored loveliness in thatch and sandstone, with dog roses panting out of the hedges, mayflies shimmering, and bees rummaging in the foxgloves. Catherine Fairweather, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2023 From touring the village and witnessing traditional thatch home construction to participating in farming activities and experiencing the making of corn tortillas and cacao drinks, the day exposed me to a culture with such a deep and rich history. Alexis Jackson, refinery29.com, 28 July 2023 Guests at this hotel have access to a petite lazy river canopied by thatch palms. Brittany Anas, Forbes, 16 July 2023 The Sun Joe comes with a 13.2-gallon grass bag to collect clippings to prevent thick thatch build-up. Brandon Russell, Popular Mechanics, 5 Sep. 2023 Some species, like perennial ryegrass do not produce much thatch and take dethatching well. oregonlive, 2 July 2023 Zale led me to spot after spot in the sea grass, pulling aside brown-gray thatch to reveal groves of bright green spears. Erin M. Fischell, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Apr. 2023 Tease your thatch up sky-high, then add white streaks up the sides to recreate this electrifying 'do everyone will get a real charge out of this Halloween. Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 16 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thatch.' 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

Middle English thecchen, from Old English theccan to cover; akin to Old High German decchen to cover, Latin tegere, Greek stegein to cover, stegos roof, Sanskrit sthagati he covers

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of thatch was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near thatch

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

thatch

1 of 2 verb
: to cover with or as if with thatch

thatch

2 of 2 noun
1
: a plant material (as straw) used to cover the roof of a building
2
: a mat of plant matter (as grass clippings) that has accumulated on the soil surface of a grassy area (as a lawn)

More from Merriam-Webster on thatch

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