What does "lattice" mean?
A flat panel constructed with widely-spaced crossed thin strips of wood or other material, commonly used as a garden trellis.
Lattice
noun, verb
noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A flat panel constructed with widely-spaced crossed thin strips of wood or other material, commonly used as a garden trellis.
- Grammar: lattice is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: grille, arabesque, atomic cluster, atomic pile.
- Useful contrasts: chaos, disconnect, disentangle.
- Usage evidence: 'Twas night; on earth all creatures were asleep, / when lo! the figures of our gods, the same / whom erst from falling Ilion o'er the deep / I brought, scarce rescued from the midmost flame, / before me, sleepless for my country's shame, / stood plain, in plenteousness of light confessed, / where streaming through the sunken lattice came / the moon's full splendour, and their speech addressed, / and I in heart took comfort, hearing their behest.
How to use "lattice"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lattice" 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 "lattice" 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 "lattice" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lattice" 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 "lattice" 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 "grille" 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 "lattice", 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 A flat panel constructed with widely-spaced crossed thin strips of wood or other material, commonly used as a garden trellis.
"It was now in ruin: the deer had climbed the broken palings, and reposed among the flowers; grass grew on the threshold, and the swinging lattice creaking to the wind, gave signal of utter desertion."
- 2 framework consisting of an ornamental design made of strips of wood or metal wordnet
- 3 A bearing with vertical and horizontal bands that cross each other.
- 4 small opening (like a window in a door) through which business can be transacted wordnet
- 5 A regular spacing or arrangement of geometric points, often decorated with a motif.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 an arrangement of points or particles or objects in a regular periodic pattern in 2 or 3 dimensions wordnet
- 7 A model of the tuning relationships of a just intonation system, comprising an array of points in a periodic multidimensional pattern.
- 8 In any of several technical senses, a substructure with properties analogous to those the set of points with integer coordinates bears in relation to the full Euclidian space these points are contained in.; A discrete subgroup of Rⁿ which is isomorphic to Zⁿ (considered as an additive group) and which spans the real vector space Rⁿ.
- 9 In any of several technical senses, a substructure with properties analogous to those the set of points with integer coordinates bears in relation to the full Euclidian space these points are contained in.; A discrete subgroup L of a given locally compact group G whose quotient space G/L has finite invariant measure.
- 10 In any of several technical senses, a substructure with properties analogous to those the set of points with integer coordinates bears in relation to the full Euclidian space these points are contained in.; A finitely generated R-submodule of V which spans V over F. (In this case the submodule is called an R-lattice).
- 11 A partially ordered set in which every pair of elements has a unique supremum and a unique infimum.
Verb
- 1 To make a lattice of.
"to lattice timbers"
- 2 To close, as an opening, with latticework; to furnish with a lattice.
"to lattice a window"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"'Twas night; on earth all creatures were asleep, / when lo! the figures of our gods, the same / whom erst from falling Ilion o'er the deep / I brought, scarce rescued from the midmost flame, / before me, sleepless for my country's shame, / stood plain, in plenteousness of light confessed, / where streaming through the sunken lattice came / the moon's full splendour, and their speech addressed, / and I in heart took comfort, hearing their behest."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lattice"?
Common synonyms include: grille, arabesque, atomic cluster, atomic pile, basketry, basketwork.
How do you use "lattice" in a sentence?
'Twas night; on earth all creatures were asleep, / when lo! the figures of our gods, the same / whom erst from falling Ilion o'er the deep / I brought, scarce rescued from the midmost flame, / before me, sleepless for my country's shame, / stood plain, in plenteousness of light confessed, / where streaming through the sunken lattice came / the moon's full splendour, and their speech addressed, / and I in heart took comfort, hearing their behest.
Etymology
From Middle English latis, from Middle French lattis (“lathing”), from Old French lattis, from latte (“a lath”), from Frankish *lattā, *lattu (“a lath”), from Proto-Germanic *lattǭ, *lattō, *laþþō (“board; plank; ledge”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)latn-, *(s)lat- (“beam; log”). Cognate with Old High German latta (“lath”), (German Latte), Old English lætt (“lath”), Middle Low German lāde (“plank, counter, sales counter”), German Laden (“shop”). More at lath.