thatch

¹

[ thach ]

noun

1. Also a material, as straw, rushes, leaves, or the like, used to cover roofs, grain stacks, etc.
2. a covering of such a material.
3. the leaves of various palms that are used for thatching.
4. something resembling thatch on a roof, especially thick hair covering the head:

   a thatch of unruly red hair.

5. Horticulture. a tightly bound layer of dead grass, including leaves, stems, and roots, that builds up on the soil surface at the base of the living grass of a lawn.

verb (used with object)

1. to cover with or as if with thatch.
2. Horticulture. to remove thatch from (a lawn); dethatch.

Thatch

²

[ thach ]

noun

1. Edward. Teach, Edward.

thatch

/ θætʃ /

noun

1. 1. Also calledthatching a roofing material that consists of straw, reed, etc
   2. a roof made of such a material
2. anything resembling this, such as the hair of the head
3. Also calledthatch palm any of various palms with leaves suitable for thatching

verb

1. to cover (a roof) with thatch

Derived Forms

• ˈthatchless, adjective
• ˈthatcher, noun
• ˈthatchy, adjective

Other Words From

• thatchless adjective
• thatchy adjective
• re·thatch verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of thatch¹

before 900; (v.) Middle English thacchen, variant (with a from thak > dial. thack ) of thecchen, Old English theccan to cover, hide; cognate with Dutch dekken ( deck ), German decken, Old Norse thekja; (noun) Middle English thacche, variant (with ch from the v.) of thak

Word History and Origins

Origin of thatch¹

Old English theccan to cover; related to thæc roof, Old Saxon thekkian to thatch, Old High German decchen, Old Norse thekja

Example Sentences

Six women raise their hands, flashing thick thatches of unshorn underarm hair.

From Washington Post

Vehicles are still unusual, but homes now are made of brick and wood and have metal roofs instead of thatch.

From The Daily Beast

By these standards, Eric Schneiderman is a mere fly buzzing around a thatch-roofed pompadour.

From The Daily Beast

His comic strip, Thatch, appeared daily in more than 150 newspapers from 1994-1998.

From The Daily Beast

The dog of a Feringhi whom I served has had it hidden these two months in the thatch of his house near the Alumbagh.

From Project Gutenberg

He coolly twitched the flame-coloured thatch away and disclosed a close crop of black hair.

From Project Gutenberg

The night was windy, the March weather had dried the thatch, and the whole place was burned to the ground in a few minutes.

From Project Gutenberg

I also put a straw thatch over the hut, proudly using my own straw which I had grown with blood.

From Project Gutenberg

Sometimes the roof was a very thick layer of long grass, laid on rude rafters, and held down by poles to form a kind of thatch.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• eyebrow
• fiber
• fur
• grass
• haircut
• hairstyle
• mane
• sideburn
• strand
• wig
• wool