hitch
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to fasten or tie, especially temporarily, by means of a hook, rope, strap, etc.; tether.
Steve hitched the horse to one of the posts.
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to harness (an animal) to a vehicle (often followed byup ).
- Synonyms:
- yoke
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to raise with jerks (usually followed byup ); hike up.
to hitch up one's trousers.
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to move or draw (something) with a jerk.
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Slang. to bind by marriage vows; unite in marriage; marry.
They got hitched in '79.
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to catch, as on a projection; snag.
He hitched his jeans on a nail and tore them.
verb (used without object)
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to stick, as when caught.
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to fasten oneself or itself to something (often followed byon ).
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to move roughly or jerkily.
The old buggy hitched along.
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to hobble or limp.
noun
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the act or fact of fastening, as to something, especially temporarily.
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any of various knots or loops made to attach a rope to something in such a way as to be readily loosened.
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Military Slang. a period of military service.
a three-year hitch in the Navy.
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an unexpected difficulty, obstacle, delay, etc..
a hitch in our plans for the picnic.
- Synonyms:
- impediment, catch, hindrance
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a hitching movement; jerk or pull.
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a hitching gait; a hobble or limp.
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a fastening that joins a movable tool to the mechanism that pulls it.
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Mining.
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a fault having a throw less than the thickness of a coal seam being mined.
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a notch cut in a wall or the like to hold the end of a stull or other timber.
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verb phrase
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hitch up to harness an animal to a wagon, carriage, or the like.
noun
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a minnow, Lavinia exilicauda, inhabiting streams in the area of San Francisco and the Sacramento River basin.
verb (used with or without object)
verb
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to fasten or become fastened with a knot or tie, esp temporarily
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(often foll by up) to connect (a horse, team, etc); harness
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to pull up (the trousers, a skirt, etc) with a quick jerk
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(intr) to move in a halting manner
to hitch along
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to entangle or become entangled
the thread was hitched on the reel
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slang (tr; passive) to marry (esp in the phrase get hitched )
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informal to obtain (a ride or rides) by hitchhiking
noun
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an impediment or obstacle, esp one that is temporary or minor
a hitch in the proceedings
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a knot for fastening a rope to posts, other ropes, etc, that can be undone by pulling against the direction of the strain that holds it
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a sudden jerk; tug; pull
he gave it a hitch and it came loose
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a hobbling gait
to walk with a hitch
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a device used for fastening
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informal a ride obtained by hitchhiking
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slang a period of time spent in prison, in the army, etc
Other Word Forms
- hitcher noun
Etymology
Origin of hitch1
First recorded in 1400–50; 1840–50 hitch 1 for def. 5; late Middle English verb icchen, hicchen, hitchen “to move rapidly or jerkily”; of obscure origin
Origin of hitch2
Origin uncertain
Origin of hitch3
First recorded in 1865–70; by shortening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The second test went off without a hitch in 2019.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
Wall Street jitters about the Iran war spilled over Tuesday into a vital part of U.S. financial markets that typically hum along without a hitch.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
The hitch has been that Zimbabwe, grappling with a debt burden of a whopping $23bn, cannot afford to settle up with the former farmers.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
The main strike went off without a hitch, and everything was quiet as they turned back.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
We looked out at the sides of the road, hoping we’d see Joseph trying to hitch.
From "Orbiting Jupiter" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
