"latch onto" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "latches onto",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "latching onto",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "latched onto",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "latched onto",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "latch on to",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "latch onto (third-person singular simple present latches onto, present participle latching onto, simple past and past participle latched onto)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              5,
              17
            ]
          ],
          "text": "They latched onto the idea and gave it up only reluctantly.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              137,
              149
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport:",
          "text": "And there was time for two more All Blacks tries, first flanker Adam Thomson flopping over after a break by Jimmy Cowan, before Williams latched onto a clever cross-kick by Kahui for his second touch-down with three minutes remaining.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something."
      ],
      "id": "en-latch_onto-en-verb-hgS~J7aN",
      "links": [
        [
          "obtain",
          "obtain"
        ],
        [
          "acquire",
          "acquire"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, transitive) To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "8 92",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 85",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"onto\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 88",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 93",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 94",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 81",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              42,
              54
            ]
          ],
          "text": "He was looking for someone to talk to and latched onto me for some reason.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To approach or stay close to someone, especially in a manner perceived as bothersome."
      ],
      "id": "en-latch_onto-en-verb-VstFmFO6",
      "links": [
        [
          "approach",
          "approach"
        ],
        [
          "stay",
          "stay"
        ],
        [
          "close",
          "close"
        ],
        [
          "bothersome",
          "bothersome"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, transitive) To approach or stay close to someone, especially in a manner perceived as bothersome."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56",
          "word": "catch on"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56",
          "word": "cotton on"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56",
          "word": "fasten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56",
          "word": "get onto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56",
          "word": "hook on"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56",
          "word": "seize on"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "44 56",
          "word": "take up"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "pegarse a"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "aferrarse a"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-latch onto.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/81/En-au-latch_onto.ogg/En-au-latch_onto.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/En-au-latch_onto.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "latch onto"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"onto\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "latches onto",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "latching onto",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "latched onto",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "latched onto",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "latch on to",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "latch onto (third-person singular simple present latches onto, present participle latching onto, simple past and past participle latched onto)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              5,
              17
            ]
          ],
          "text": "They latched onto the idea and gave it up only reluctantly.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              137,
              149
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport:",
          "text": "And there was time for two more All Blacks tries, first flanker Adam Thomson flopping over after a break by Jimmy Cowan, before Williams latched onto a clever cross-kick by Kahui for his second touch-down with three minutes remaining.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "obtain",
          "obtain"
        ],
        [
          "acquire",
          "acquire"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, transitive) To obtain, acquire or get and keep hold of something."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              42,
              54
            ]
          ],
          "text": "He was looking for someone to talk to and latched onto me for some reason.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To approach or stay close to someone, especially in a manner perceived as bothersome."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "approach",
          "approach"
        ],
        [
          "stay",
          "stay"
        ],
        [
          "close",
          "close"
        ],
        [
          "bothersome",
          "bothersome"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, transitive) To approach or stay close to someone, especially in a manner perceived as bothersome."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-latch onto.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/81/En-au-latch_onto.ogg/En-au-latch_onto.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/En-au-latch_onto.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "catch on"
    },
    {
      "word": "cotton on"
    },
    {
      "word": "fasten"
    },
    {
      "word": "get onto"
    },
    {
      "word": "hook on"
    },
    {
      "word": "seize on"
    },
    {
      "word": "take up"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "pegarse a"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "aferrarse a"
    }
  ],
  "word": "latch onto"
}