loach

[ lohch ]

/ loʊtʃ /

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noun

any of several slender European and Asian fishes of the family Cobitidae and related families, having several barbels around the mouth.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of loach

1325–75; Middle English loche<Middle French

Words nearby loach

LMVD, ln, lndry rm, LNG, lo, loach, load, load displacement, loaded, loaded for bear, loaded question

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

How to use loach in a sentence

It is a pity the loach is so delicate; it shows signs of exhaustion sooner than any fish in the collection.
The Book of the Aquarium and Water Cabinet|Shirley Hibberd
Why, they will allow us neer a jordan, and then we leak in your chimney; and your chamber lie breeds fleas like a loach.
The Old Inns of Old England, Volume I (of 2)|Charles G. Harper
The pond beyond the garden contained a quantity of carp and loach.
A Nobleman's Nest|Ivan Turgenieff
The loach and the bullhead are fairly hardy, but have little other attraction.
Three Hundred Things a Bright Boy Can Do|Anonymous

At times he wants to eat a dish of loach from Phalerum; I seize my dish and fly to fetch him some.
The Birds|Aristophanes

British Dictionary definitions for loach (1 of 2)

loach

/ (ləʊtʃ) /

noun

any carplike freshwater cyprinoid fish of the family Cobitidae, of Eurasia and Africa, having a long narrow body with barbels around the mouth

Word Origin for loach

C14: from Old French loche, of obscure origin

British Dictionary definitions for loach (2 of 2)

Loach

/ (ləʊtʃ) /

noun

Ken (neth). born 1936, British television and film director; his works for television include Cathy Come Home (1966) and his films include Kes (1970), Riff-Raff (1991), Bread and Roses (2000), The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006), and The Angels' Share (2012)

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