Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A latch which is held in its place by a catch, or of which the bolt may be so locked by a detent that it cannot be raised by the latch-key from the outside, nor by the handle from within.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A kind of latch whose bolt may be so locked by a detent that it can not be opened from the inside by the handle, or from the outside by the latch key.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A kind of
latch whosebolt may be locked by adetent so that it can not be opened from the inside by thehandle , or from the outside by the latch key.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
dead + latch
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word deadlatch.
Examples
-
After locking Callard's apartment with the key so as to engage the deadlatch, he went down the back stairs and out by the alley door.
-
After locking Callard's apartment with the key so as to engage the deadlatch, he went down the back stairs and out by the alley door.
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.