fetch

1 of 3

verb

fetched; fetching; fetches

transitive verb

1
a
: to go or come after and bring or take back
fetch a doctor
b
: derive, deduce
fetch analogies from nature
2
a
: to cause to come
one shot fetched down
b
: to bring in (a price or similar return) : realize
The hogs fetched a good price at the market.
c
: interest, attract
… he doesn't fetch the girls like William …D. H. Lawrence
3
a
: to give (a blow) by striking : deal
fetch him a clip on the chin
b
chiefly dialectal : bring about, accomplish
c(1)
: to take in : draw
sat fetching her breath in dry sobsNgaio Marsh
(2)
: to bring forth : heave
fetch a sigh
4
a
: to reach by sailing especially against the wind or tide
fetch the harbor before the storm breaks
b
: to arrive at : reach
fetched home after a long ride

intransitive verb

1
: to get and bring something
specifically : to retrieve killed game
2
: to take a roundabout way : circle
3
a
: to hold a course on a body of water
fetch to windward
b
: veer
fetcher noun

fetch

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
2
: an act or instance of fetching
3
a
: the distance along open water or land over which the wind blows
b
: the distance traversed by waves without obstruction

fetch

3 of 3

noun (2)

Examples of fetch in a Sentence

Verb If you throw the ball the dog will fetch it. Hunting dogs are trained to fetch. This table should fetch quite a bit at auction. The house fetched more than we expected. Noun (1) his latest fetch to win back his girlfriend smacks of desperation Noun (2) with its standard assortment of chain stores and central food court, the new mall is pretty much the fetch of 1,000 other malls
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The pendant went under the hammer during the Royal and Noble collection sale and fetched a whopping £163,800 (about $200,000), which was more than double its pre-auction estimate. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024 Plot: Homer buys a transporter from a garage sale, using it to fetch beer and go to the bathroom with more efficiency. Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
Currently, a pound of lionfish meat fetches around $6, Beauford says. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 18 Sep. 2024 While movies fans have been saying it for years —fetch is one of the more memorable terms and lines spoken in a movie chock full of quotes — Chabert's daughter has now spoken it her. Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fetch 

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

Middle English fecchen, from Old English fetian, feccan; perhaps akin to Old English fōt foot — more at foot

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1787, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fetch was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fetch

Cite this Entry

“Fetch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fetch. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fetch

verb
ˈfech
1
: to go after and bring back
2
: to cause to come : bring forth
3
: to bring as a price : sell for
fetcher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fetch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!