1 B1 informal
To go outside and retrieve something, then bring it indoors.
"Could you fetch in the washing before it starts to rain?"
separable
fetch in
B1 informal separable transitive
To go and get something from outside and bring it indoors.
In plain English
To go and pick something up from outside and bring it inside.
What does "fetch in" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 informal
(British/Irish rural) To bring livestock inside a barn or enclosure.
"The farmer sent his son to fetch in the cows before dark."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To go fetch something and bring it in(side).
Actually means
To go and pick something up from outside and bring it inside.
Usage tip
More common in British and Irish English than American. Often used for bringing in things from a garden, yard, or outdoor area (e.g., laundry, firewood, shopping). The emphasis is on both the retrieval and the act of bringing inside.
Words that pair with "fetch in"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
washing laundry wood coal shopping cows
How to conjugate "fetch in"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fetch in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
fetches in
he/she/it
Past simple
fetched in
yesterday
Past participle
fetched in
have + pp
-ing form
fetching in
continuous
Hear "fetch in" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "fetch in" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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