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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The one-of-a-kind timepiece from the Geneva watchmaker could fetch more than 1 million Swiss francs ($1.1 million) at auction, Guillemin said. Andy Hoffman, Fortune Europe, 20 Mar. 2024 As such, the rarity is expected to fetch between $4,000 to $6,000 at the upcoming auction. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024 For comparison, Snapchat made $3.4 billion from its IPO in 2017, while Twitter fetched $1.8 billion in 2013. Laura Bratton, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Last month, the shield had been scheduled to appear in a sale at the auction house Anderson & Garland, where it had been expected to fetch between £800 and £1,200 (roughly $1,000 and $1,500). Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 On this occasion, Lopez opted for a blood orange Kelly made of a shiny crocodile skin, one of the rarest and most desirable iterations of the Hermès bag, with similar pieces fetching nearly $60,000 on resale markets. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024 The yellow spyder is one of the rarest examples of the vehicle and, based on early bidding, looks set to fetch a hefty sum. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 Not like now, when parents can be arrested for letting their child walk to the store to fetch a doughnut or play, momentarily unsupervised, at the local playground. Pamela Paul, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 The 800,000 square foot indoor Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale that opened in 1980 was listed for sale in November as a potential redevelopment site and may fetch over $100 million, The Real Deal reported. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
From endless rounds of fetch to tail-wagging meetups, your furry friends can play to their heart’s content. Bang Advertising Staff and Correspondents, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 The longer the fetch, the more time there is to suck up warm water along the way. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 Some owners described their pets as losing interest in fetch altogether as the animals aged. Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 14 Dec. 2023 Profile: Baron is a canine athlete, who likes all kinds of recreation, including fetch, tug-o-war, and running in open spaces. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 Bellatrix Bellatrix enjoys all the canine classics: playing fetch, running, and chasing tennis balls. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024 However, the Ubisoft-esque map that's filled with fetch and dungeon quests that opens up to even more of the same wears on you after a while. Chris Stobing, PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2024 Other options: one-on-one cuddle/story time, fetch, toy time. Matt Keenan, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 The weekend’s other new release couldn’t make fetch happen. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fetch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 29 Mar. 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

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