Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LAS'SO, n. [Fr. laisse; L. lassus.]

In South America, a rope or cord, with a noose, used for catching wild horses.

LAST, a. [contracted from latest; Sax. last, from latost; G. letzt; D. laatst, from laat, late. Qu. is the Gr. λοισθος from the same root. See Late and Let.]

1. That comes after all the others; the latest; applied to time; as, the last hour of the day; the last day of the year.
2. That follows all the others; that is behind all the others, in place; hindmost; as, this was the last man that entered the church.
3. Beyond which there is no more. Here, last of Britons, let your names be read. – Pope.
4. Next before the present; as, the last week; the last year.
5. Utmost. Their last endeavors bend, / T' outshine each other. – Dryden. It is an object of the last importance. – Ellicott.
6. Lowest; meanest. Antilochus / Takes the last prize. – Pope. At last, at the last, at the end; in the conclusion. Gad, a troop shall overcome him; but he shalt overcome at the last. Gen. xlix. To the last, to the end; till the conclusion. And blunder on in business to the last. – Pope. In the phrases, “you are the last man I should consult,” “this is the last place in which I should expect to find you,” the word last implies improbability; this is the most improbable place, and therefore I should resort to it last.

LAST, adv.

1. The last time; the time before the present. I saw him last at New York.
2. In conclusion; finally. Pleased with his idol, he commends, admires, / Adores; and last, the thing adored desires. – Dryden.

LAST, n. [Sax. hlæste; G. Sw. D. and Dan. last; Russ. laste; Fr. lest; Arm. lastr; W. llwyth. See Load.]

A load; hence, a certain weight or measure. A last of codfish, white herrings, meal, and ashes, is twelve barrels; a last of corn is ten quarters or eighty bushels; of gunpowder, twenty-four barrels; of red herrings, twenty cades; of hides, twelve dozen; of leather, twenty dickers; of pith and tar, fourteen barrels; of wool, twelve sacks; of flax or feathers, 1700 lbs. – Encyc.

LAST, n. [Sax. laste, læste; G. leisten; D. leest; Dan. læst; Sw. läst.]

A mold or form of the human foot, made of wood, on which shoes are formed. The cobbler is not to go beyond his last. – L'Estrange.

LAST, v.i. [Sax. lastan, læstan. This verb seems to be from the adjective last, the primary sense of which is continued, drawn out. See Let.]

1. To continue in time; to endure; to remain in existence. Our government can not last long unless administered honest men.
2. To continue unimpaired; not to decay or perish. Select for winter the best apples to last. This color will last.
3. To hold out; to continue unconsumed. The captain knew he had not water on board to last a week.

LAST'-AGE, n. [Fr. lestage. See Last, a load.]

1. A duty paid for freight or transportation. [Not used in the United States.]
2. Ballast. [Not used.]
3. The lading of a ship. [Not used.]

LAST'ER-Y, n.

A red color. [Not in use.] – Spenser.

LAST'ING, n.

Endurance.

LAST'ING, ppr.

1. Continuing in time; enduring; remaining.
2. adj. Durable; of long continuance; that may continue or endure; as, a lasting good or evil; a lasting color.

LAST'ING-LY, adv.

Durably; with continuance.

LAST'ING-NESS, n.

Durability; the quality or state of long continuance. – Sidney.

LAST'LY, adv.

1. In the last place.
2. In the conclusion; at last; finally.

LAST-MEN'TION-ED, a.

Mentioned last.

LATCH, n. [Fr. loquet; Arm. licqed or clicqed, coinciding with L. ligula, from ligo, to tie, and with English lock, Sax. læccan, to catch. The G. klinke, D. klink, coincide with Fr. clenche, which, if n is casual, are the Arm. clicqed, Eng. to clinch. The same word in W. is clicied, a latch, and the It. laccio, a snare, L. laqueus, from which we have lace, may belong to the same root. The primary sense of the root is to catch, to close, stop or make fast.]

1. A small piece of iron or wood used to fasten a door. – Gay.
2. A small line like a loop, used to lace the bonnets to the courses, or the drabblers to the bonnets. – Dict.

LATCH, v.t.

1. To fasten with a latch; to fasten. – Locke.
2. [Fr. lecher.] To smear. [Not used.] – Shak.

LATCH'ET, n. [from latch, Fr. lacet.]

The string that fastens a shoe. – Mark i.

LATE, a. [Sax. læt, lat; Goth. lata; D. laat; Sw. lat; Dan. lad, idle, lazy; Goth. latyan, Sax. latian, to delay or retard. This word is from the root of let, the sense of which is to draw out, extend or prolong, hence to be slow or late. See Let. This adjective has regular terminations of the comparative and superlative degrees, later, latest, but it has also latter, and latest is often contracted into last.]

1. Coming after the usual time; slow; tardy; long delayed; as, a late spring; a late summer. The crops or harvest will be late.
2. Far advanced toward the end or close; as, a late hour of the day. He began at a late period of his life.
3. Last, or recently in any place, office or character, as, the late ministry; the late administration.
4. Existing not long ago, but now decayed or departed; as, the late bishop of London.
5. Not long past; happening not long ago; recent; as, the late rains. We have received late intelligence.

LATE, adv.

1. After the usual time, or the time appointed; after delay; as, he arrived late.
2. After the proper or usual season. This year the fruits ripen late.
3. Not long ago; lately. And round them throng / With leaps and hounds the late imprisoned young. – Pope.
4. Far in the night, day, week, or other particular period; as, to lie a-bed late; to sit up late at night. Of late, lately, in time not long past, or near the present. The practice is of late uncommon. Too late, after the proper time; not in due time. We arrived too late to see the procession.

LAT'ED, a.

Belated; being too late. [Not used.] – Shak.

LAT'EEN, a. [Fr. latine.]

A lateen sail is a triangular sail, extended by a lateen yard, which is slung about one quarter the distance from the lower end, which is brought down at the tack, while the other end is elevated at an angle of about 45 degrees; used at in xebecs, polacres and setees, in the Mediterranean. – Mar. Dict.

LATE'LY, adv.

Not long ago; recently. We called on a gentleman who has lately arrived from Italy.

LA'TEN-CY, n. [See Latent.]

The state of being concealed; abstruseness. – Paley.

LATE'NESS, n.

1. The state of being tardy, or of coming after the usual time; as, the lateness of spring or of harvest.
2. Time far advanced in any particular period; as, lateness of the day or night; lateness in the season; lateness in life.
3. The state of being out of time, or after the appointed time; as, the lateness of one's arrival.

LA'TENT, a. [L. latens, lateo; Gr. ληθω, λανθανω; Heb. לאט, to cover, or rather Ch. לטא, to hide or be hid. Class Ld, No. 1, 11.]

Hid; concealed; secret; not seen; not visible or apparent. We speak of latent motives; latent reasons; latent springs of action. Latent heat, is heat in combination, in distinction from sensible heat; the portion of heat which disappears when a body changes its form from the solid to the liquid, or from the liquid to the aeriform state. – Black.