thatch

1 of 2

verb

ˈthach 

thatched; thatching; thatches

transitive verb

: to cover with or as if with thatch

thatcher noun

thatch

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a plant material (such as straw) used as a sheltering cover especially of a house

b

: a sheltering cover (such as a house roof) made of such material

c

: a mat of undecomposed plant material (such as grass clippings) accumulated next to the soil in a grassy area (such as a lawn)

2

: something likened to the thatch of a house

especially : the hair of one's head

Examples of thatch in a Sentence

Noun

Mice were living in the thatch of the roof.

We ate lunch in the shade under the thatch of a beachfront restaurant.

her thatch of dark brown hair

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Manage thatch through dethatching or aeration when the thatch layer exceeds ½ inch thick in warm season grasses like zoysia, Bermuda, and buffalograss, or 1/3 inch thick in cool season grasses. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2025

As a result, Japan's 5,000-year-old thatching tradition flourishes here, nurtured by the Japan Cultural Thatching Association, which runs occasional public workshops. —The Week Uk, theweek, 6 Oct. 2024

Noun

Crops with shallow roots like lettuce, radish, beets and various herbs are great candidates for a garden bed with a thick thatch layer that slowly breaks down and feeds the soil. —Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2025

Tucked away on a quiet beach known for its great surf break, the club feels like a tropical paradise lined with palm trees and thatch umbrellas. —Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English thecchen, from Old English theccan to cover; akin to Old High German decchen to cover, Latin tegere, Greek stegein to cover, stegos roof, Sanskrit sthagati he covers

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for thatch

• bache
• batch
• brach
• catch
• hatch
• latch
• mache
• match
• patch
• rach
• scratch
• snatch

Kids Definition

thatch

1 of 2 verb

ˈthach 

: to cover with or as if with thatch

thatch

2 of 2 noun

1

: a plant material (as straw) used to cover the roof of a building

2

: a mat of plant matter (as grass clippings) that has accumulated on the soil surface of a grassy area (as a lawn)