Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LA'TENT-LY, adv.

Secretly; concealedly; invisibly.

LAT'ER, a. [comp. deg. of late.]

Posterior; subsequent.

LAT'ER-AL, a. [Fr. from L. lateralis, from latus, a side, and broad, Gr. πλατυς; coinciding with W. llêd, llyd, breadth, and probably with Eng. flat, W. plad or llez, or both. The primary sense of these words is to extend, as in late, let.]

1. Pertaining to the side; as, the lateral view of an object.
2. Proceeding from the side; as, the lateral branches of a tree; lateral shoots.

LAT-ER-AL'I-TY, n.

The quality of having distinct sides. [Not used.] – Brown.

LATER-AL-LY, adv.

1. By the side; sideways. – Holder.
2. In the direction of the side.

LAT'ER-AN, n.

One of the churches at Rome. The name is said to have been derived from that of a man. – Encyc.

LAT'ER-E, adv. [A latere; see A-LATERE, adv.]

LAT'ER-ED, a.

Delayed. [Obs.] Chaucer.

LAT-ER-I-FO'LI-OUS, a. [L. latus, side, and folium, leaf.]

In botany, growing on the side of a leaf at the base; as, a laterifolious flower. – Lee. Martyn.

LAT-ER-I'TIOUS, a. [L. lateritius, from later, a brick.]

Like bricks; of the color of bricks. – Med. Repos. Lateritious sediment, a sediment in urine resembling brick dust, observed after the crises of fevers, and at the termination of gouty paroxysms. – Parr.

LATE'WARD, adv.

Somewhat late.

LATH, n. [W. clawd, a thin board, or llâth, a rod; Fr. latte; Sp. latas, plur; G. latte; D. lat.]

1. A thin narrow board or slip of wood nailed to the rafters of a building to support the tiles or covering.
2. A thin narrow slip of wood nailed to the studs, to support the plastering.

LATH, n. [Sax. leth. The signification of this word is not clearly ascertained. It may be from Sax. lathian, to call together, and signify primarily, a meeting or assembly. See Wapentake.]

In some parts of England, a part or division of a county. Spenser, Spelman and Blackstone do not agree in their accounts of the lath; but according to the laws of Edward the Confessor, the lath, in some counties, answered to the trithing or third part of a county in others. – Wilkins.

LATH, v.t.

To cover or line with laths. – Mortimer.

LATHE, n. [Qu. lath, supra, or W. lathru, to make smooth.]

An engine by which instruments of wood, ivory, metals and other materials, are turned and cut into a smooth round form.

LATH'ED, pp.

Covered or lined with laths.

LATH'ER, n.

1. Foam or froth made by soap moistened with water.
2. Foam or froth from profuse sweat, as of a horse.

LATH'ER, v.i. [Sax. lethrian, to lather, to anoint. Qu. W. llathru, to make smooth, or llithraw, to glide; llithrig, slippery, or llyth, soft; llyzu, to spread.]

To form a foam with water and soap; to become froth, or frothy matter.

LATH'ER, v.t.

To spread over with the foam of soap.

LA'TH'ER-ED, pp.

Spread over with the foam of soap.

LATH'ER-ING, ppr.

Spreading over with the foam of soap.

LATH'Y, a.

Thin as a lath; long and slender. – Chalmers.

LATH'Y, a. [W. lleth, llyth.]

Flabby; weak. – New England.

LA-TIB'U-LIZE, v.i. [L. latibulum, a hiding place.]

To retire into a den, burrow or cavity, and lie dormant in winter; to retreat and lie hid. The tortoise latibulizes in October. – Shaw's Zool.

LAT'I-CLAVE, n. [L. laticlavium; latus, broad, and clavus, a stud.]

An ornament of dress worn by Roman senators. It is supposed to have been a broad stripe of purple on the fore part of the tunic, set with knobs or studs. – Encyc.