Relatch

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To close and secure a latch, bolt or catch once more after it has been opened
2. Fastening something that had come undone back into its locked position with a latch
3. Securing a door, gate or hatch again by engaging its latch after it was released

Etymology: "Relatch" is a straightforward formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back", attached to "latch." To latch something is to fasten it with a latch, the simple bar or lever that holds a gate or door shut, so to relatch is to fasten it again after it has been opened or come loose. The base word "latch" goes back to Old English "læccan," meaning to seize or catch hold of. Over time the sense narrowed from grasping in general to the specific fastening device, and the verb "latch" came to mean closing that device. Adding "re-" simply repeats that action, which is why the word stays so transparent: a gate that swung open in the wind must be relatched, and a cabinet that sprang free needs the same treatment.

Synonyms: latch again

Antonyms: unlatch, unfasten