means A simple fastening device that holds a door, gate, or lid closed, and the act of fixing or attaching firmly onto something.

from From Old English 'læccan,' meaning to seize, grasp, or catch hold of — the same instinct in a baby latching on or a thought that latches onto your mind. The fastener was named for what it does: it catches and holds. The verb came first; the little metal grabber borrowed its name.