night latch


noun
  1. a door lock operated from the inside by a knob and from the outside by a key.

Origin of night latch

1
First recorded in 1850–55

Words Nearby night latch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use night latch in a sentence

  • The door closed softly behind the retreating figure of the attorney-general, and Kent released the spring of the night-latch.

    The Grafters | Francis Lynde
  • The rattle of a night-latch made itself heard in the outer door.

    The Minister's Charge | William Dean Howells
  • When McCloskey had come at a push of the call-button, Lidgerwood snapped the night-latch on the corridor door.

  • This was necessary, for our front-door (or main-hatchway) had no night-latch, but was fastened by means of a bolt.

    Rudder Grange | Frank R. Stockton
  • A night-latch and a caretaker who came round once a day was enough for any sensible person.

    The Carpet from Bagdad | Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for night latch

night latch

noun
  1. a door lock that is operated by means of a knob on the inside and a key on the outside

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