fetch
fetch — noun
1. a game in which a person throws a ball, stick, or other object and a dog runs to
a game in which a person throws a ball, stick, or other object and a dog runs to get it and brings it back
Élise threw the ball across the field and shouted 'Fetch!' to her golden retriever.
command word 'Fetch!' used as call to dog
After half an hour of fetch, the little terrier was tired but wagging its tail.
The children spent the sunny afternoon playing fetch with the neighbour's Labrador.
The vet told us that fetch is excellent exercise for energetic working dogs.
- retrieving
more formal or technical term for the same dog activity
文法句型
play fetch
word used as a game name
用法筆記
Used as an uncountable noun for the activity itself; the word 'Fetch' shouted as a command is also common.
常見錯誤
fetch — verb
- fetchpresent simple I / you / we / they
- fetcheshe / she / it
- fetchedpast simple
- fetching-ing form
1. to go somewhere, obtain a person or an item, and then return carrying them
to go somewhere, obtain a person or an item, and then return carrying them
Quan asked his younger sister to fetch him a glass of water from the kitchen.
fetch + indirect object + direct object
The school sent a minibus to fetch the children from the campsite.
fetch + person from a place
Marta ran to fetch the doctor when her grandmother suddenly felt dizzy.
Could you please fetch the mail from the box near the front gate?
The rescue team was sent to fetch the lost hikers from the mountain trail.
- take
moving something away from the speaker rather than toward them
文法句型
fetch + object (person or thing)
用法筆記
This sense implies a two-way journey: going to the object's location and returning with it. Unlike 'bring', which only describes movement toward the speaker, 'fetch' explicitly includes the outward trip.
常見錯誤
2. to achieve a particular price when sold, especially at an auction or in a proper
to achieve a particular price when sold, especially at an auction or in a property deal
The old painting by a little-known artist fetched over ten thousand dollars at auction.
fetch + price at auction
Their house in the suburbs fetched a much higher price than the estate agent predicted.
A rare first-edition novel can fetch a small fortune from serious collectors.
Zayd's vintage sports car fetched nearly double the amount he had paid for it.
These antique dining chairs are expected to fetch around eight hundred pounds each.
- cost
what a buyer pays versus what a seller receives
文法句型
fetch + amount of money
用法筆記
Subject is usually the item being sold, not the seller. The verb is rarely used in the passive voice ('was fetched' is not natural). Common in auction listings, real-estate reports, and news about sales.
常見錯誤
3. to strike someone with a sudden movement of the hand, often in a heated argument
to strike someone with a sudden movement of the hand, often in a heated argument or fight scene
Ada lost her temper and fetched the rude stranger a sharp slap on the cheek.
fetch + person + a slap + location
In a black-and-white film, the hero fetched the villain a blow on the chin.
The historical novel describes how the knight fetched his opponent a punch to the jaw.
The witness said that Andrés fetched the other man a blow on the ear.
文法句型
fetch + person + a blow/slap/punch
用法筆記
Frequently appears in past-tense narratives or descriptions of physical confrontations in fiction. The structure requires both an indirect object (the person hit) and a direct object (the type of strike). Modern everyday British English prefers 'hit' or 'slap' instead.