Lath

//lɑːθ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A thin, narrow strip, fastened to the rafters, studs, or floor beams of a building, for the purpose of supporting a covering of tiles, plastering, etc.

    ""You are as thin as a lath and as brown as a nut.""

  2. 2
    Alternative form of lat (“staff; monumental pillar”). alt-of, alternative
  3. 3
    a narrow thin strip of wood used as backing for plaster or to make latticework wordnet
  4. 4
    Microscopic, needle-like crystals, usually of plagioclase feldspar, in a glassy groundmass
  5. 5
    One of the sharp-edged, thick planks driven forward to hold back loose earth or mud when digging the way through for tunnelling or spiling. Also called a spill.
Verb
  1. 1
    To cover or line with laths. transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English laththe, laþþe, earlier lathe, laþe, altered from Old English lætt (“lath”), from Proto-West Germanic *lattu, from Proto-Germanic *lattō, *laþþō (compare Dutch lat, German Latte) from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lat- (compare Welsh llath (“rod, wand, yard”)).

Etymology 2

From Middle English laththe, laþþe, earlier lathe, laþe, altered from Old English lætt (“lath”), from Proto-West Germanic *lattu, from Proto-Germanic *lattō, *laþþō (compare Dutch lat, German Latte) from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lat- (compare Welsh llath (“rod, wand, yard”)).

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