latchstring

[ lach-string ]

noun

a string passed through a hole in a door, for raising the latch from the outside.

Origin of latchstring

First recorded in 1785–95; latch + string

Words Nearby latchstring

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use latchstring in a sentence

A beam of light shone through the generous latchstring hole in the door.
North of Fifty-Three | Bertrand W. Sinclair
Hang out the latchstring and remove everything breakable, for the wanderer is coming home!
The Camp Fire Girls on the Open Road | Hildegard G. Frey
That remains to be seen; lets follow them, as we have the right to do so long as the latchstring hangs outside.
The Boy Patrol Around the Council Fire | Edward Sylvester Ellis
Ye know his latchstring is always out, but Ive niver known of their being in his company.
The Boy Patrol Around the Council Fire | Edward Sylvester Ellis
You forget the latchstring is inside, reminded Scout Master Hall.
The Boy Patrol Around the Council Fire | Edward Sylvester Ellis

British Dictionary definitions for latchstring

latchstring

/ (ˈlætʃˌstrɪŋ) /

noun

a length of string fastened to a latch and passed through a hole in the door so that it can be opened from the other side

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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