What does "lather" mean?
The foam made by rapidly stirring soap and water.
Lather
/ˈlɑː.ðə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The foam made by rapidly stirring soap and water.
- Grammar: lather is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: suds, aerate, agitate, agitation.
- Useful contrasts: calm, composure, defoam.
- Usage evidence: I lather my face before shaving.
How to use "lather"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lather" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lather" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lather" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lather" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lather" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "suds" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lather", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The foam made by rapidly stirring soap and water. countable, uncountable
"Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed."
- 2 the foam resulting from excessive sweating (as on a horse) wordnet
- 3 Foam from profuse sweating, as of a horse. countable, uncountable
- 4 the froth produced by soaps or detergents wordnet
- 5 A state of agitation. countable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a workman who puts up laths wordnet
- 7 agitation resulting from active worry wordnet
Verb
- 1 To cover with lather. transitive
"I lathered my body with lavender-scented soap."
- 2 rub soap all over, usually with the purpose of cleaning wordnet
- 3 To beat or whip. transitive
- 4 exude sweat or lather wordnet
- 5 To form lather or froth, as a horse does when profusely sweating. intransitive
"I woke Corporal Honda to see to the horse. Heavily lathered and breathing hard, it had obviously come a long way at high speed."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 form a lather wordnet
- 7 beat severely with a whip or rod wordnet
Example
"I lather my face before shaving."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lather"?
Common synonyms include: suds, aerate, agitate, agitation, anxiety, baptize.
How do you use "lather" in a sentence?
I lather my face before shaving.
How do you pronounce "lather"?
Pronounced /ˈlɑː.ðə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English lather, from Old English lēaþor (“a kind of nitre used for soap, soda”), from Proto-West Germanic *lauþr, from Proto-Germanic *lauþrą (“that which is used for washing, soap”), from Proto-Indo-European *lówh₃trom (“that which is used for washing”), from *lewh₃-, *lowh₃- (“to wash, bathe”). Cognate with Swedish lödder (“lather, foam, froth, soap”), Icelandic löður (“foam, froth, a kind of niter used for soap”), Old Irish loathar (“wash-basin”), Ancient Greek λουτρόν (loutrón, “a bath, wash-room”), Latin lavō (“I wash”), Albanian laj (“I wash”), Ancient Greek λούω (loúō). More at lye.
Etymology 2
From Middle English *lethren, from Old English lēþrian, lȳþrian, *līeþrian (“to anoint, smear, lather”), from Old English lēaþor (“a kind of niter used for soap, soda”). See above.