thatch

/θætʃ/

/θætʃ/

Other forms: thatched; thatching; thatches

When straw or other dried grasses are used to cover a roof, it's called thatch. People have used thatch to keep the rain out for at least 300 years.

Although dry grasses might not seem like the sturdiest roof, thatch is actually a rain-proof, insulating substance. These days it's most common to find thatched roofs in developing countries, but some people use it for a deliberately rustic look. If someone describes your hair as thatch, they mean it looks as dry, messy, and thick as the thatch used as a roofing material. The root of thatch means "to cover."

Definitions of thatch

1. noun

   plant stalks used as roofing material
   type of:

   roofing material

   building material used in constructing roofs
2. noun

   a house roof made with a plant material (as straw)
   synonyms: thatched roof

   type of:

   roof

   a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
3. noun

   hair resembling thatched roofing material
   type of:

   coif, coiffure, hair style, hairdo, hairstyle

   the arrangement of the hair (especially a woman's hair)
4. verb

   cover with thatch
   “thatch the roofs”

   type of:

   roof

   provide a building with a roof; cover a building with a roof