LATCH, lach, _n._ a small piece of wood or iron to fasten a door.--_v.t._
to fasten with a latch: to hold, retain: (_obs._) to seize.--_ns._
LATCH'ET, a strap or buckle for fastening a shoe; LATCH'KEY, a key to raise
the latch of a door.--ON THE LATCH, not locked, but opened by a latch.
[A.S. _læccan_, to catch.]
LATE, l[=a]t, _adj._ (_comp._ LAT'ER; _superl._ LAT'EST) slow, tardy;
behindhand: coming after the expected time: long delayed: far advanced
towards the close: last in any place or character: deceased: departed: out
of office: not long past--also _adv._--_adj._ LAT'ED (_Shak._), belated,
being too late.--_adv._ LATE'LY.--_n._ LATE'NESS, state of being
late.--_adv._ LAT'ER.--_adj._ LAT'ISH, somewhat late. [A.S. _læt_, slow;
Dut. _laat_, Ice. _latr_, Ger. _lass_, weary; L. _lassus_, tired.]
LATEBRA, lat'eb-ra, _n._ the cavity in the food-yolk of a meroblastic
ovum.--_adj._ LAT'EBROUS. [L.--_lat[=e]re_.]
LATEEN, la-t[=e]n', _adj._ applied to a triangular sail, common in the
Mediterranean, the Lake of Geneva, &c. [Fr.,--L. _Latinus_, Latin.]
LATENT, l[=a]'tent, _adj._ hid: concealed: not visible or apparent:
dormant, undeveloped.--_ns._ L[=A]'TENCE, L[=A]'TENCY.--_adv._
L[=A]'TENTLY.--LATENT HEAT (see HEAT); LATENT LIFE, a phrase describing the
physiological condition of organisms in which the functions are for a time
suspended without losing the power of future activity; LATENT PERIOD OF A
DISEASE, the time that elapses before symptoms show the presence of the
disease. [L. _latens_, pr.p. of _lat[=e]re_, to lie hid; Gr. _lanthanein_,
to be hidden.]
LATERAL, lat'[.e]r-al, _adj._ belonging to the side: proceeding from or in
the direction of the side: (_anat._ and _zool._) situated on one of the
sides of the median vertical longitudinal plane of the body: (_physics_) at
right angles to a line of motion or strain.--_n._ LATERAL'ITY.--_adv._
LAT'ERALLY.--_adj._ LATERIF[=O]'LIOUS (_bot._), growing by the side of a
leaf at its base.--LATERAL FIN, one of the paired side fins of a
fish:--opp. to _Vertical fin_. [L. _lateralis_--_latus_, _lat[)e]ris_, a
side.]
LATERAN, lat'[.e]r-an, _adj._ pertaining to the Church of St John _Lateran_
at Rome, the Pope's cathedral church, on the site of the splendid palace or
basilica of Plautius Lateranus (executed 66 A.D.).--LATERAN COUNCILS, five
general councils of the Western Church, held in the Lateran basilica (1123,
1139, 1179, 1215, and 1512-17), regarded by Roman Catholics as oecumenical:
also an important synod against the Monothelites in 649.
LATERICEOUS, lat-[.e]r-ish'us, _adj._ of brick, or brick-coloured.--Also
LATERIT'IOUS. [L. _latericius_--_later_, _lateris_, a brick.]
LATERITE, lat'[.e]r-[=i]t, _n._ an argillaceous sandstone of a reddish or
brick colour found in India, esp. in Ceylon. [L. _later_, _lateris_, a
brick.]
LATESCENT, l[=a]-tes'ent, _adj._ becoming hidden.--_n._ LATESC'ENCE. [L.
_latesc[)e]re_--_lat[=e]re_, to lie hid.]
LATEST, l[=a]t'est, _adj._ superl. of _late_.
LATEX, l[=a]'teks, _n._ (_bot._) the sap of plants after it has been
elaborated in the leaves.--_adj._ LATICIF'EROUS, containing or conveying
latex. [L.]
LATH, läth, _n._ a thin cleft slip of wood used in slating, plastering,
&c.:--_pl._ LATHS (lä_th_z).--_v.t._ to cover with laths.--_adj._
LATH'EN.--_ns._ LATH'ING, the act or process of covering with laths: a
covering of laths; LATH'-SPLIT'TER, one who splits wood into laths.--_adj._
LATH'Y, like a lath.--DAGGER OF LATH, any insufficient means of attack or
defence. [A.S. _lættu_; Dut. _lat_, Ger. _latte_, a lath.]
LATHE, l[=a]_th_, _n._ a machine for turning and shaping articles of wood,
metal, &c.: the movable swing-frame of a loom carrying the reed for
separating the warp threads and beating up the weft. [Ice. _löð_.]
LATHE, lä_th_, _n._ a part or division of a county, now existing only in
Kent, and consisting of four or five hundreds. [A.S. _l['æ]th_, a
district.]
LATHER, la_th_'[.e]r, _n._ a foam or froth made with water and soap: froth
from sweat.--_v.t._ to spread over with lather.--_v.i._ to form a lather:
to become frothy. [A.S. _leáðor_, lather; Ice. _lauðr_, foam.]
LATIBULUM, l[=a]-tib'[=u]-lum, _n._ a hiding-place, burrow:--_pl._
LATIB'ULA.--_v.i._ LATIB'ULISE, to hibernate. [L.]
LATICLAVE, lat'i-kl[=a]v, _n._ a broad vertical purple stripe running down
the front of a Roman senator's tunic. [L. _latus_, broad, _clavus_, a
stripe.]
LATICOSTATE, lat-i-kos't[=a]t, _adj._ broad-ribbed.
LATIDENTATE, lat-i-den't[=a]t, _adj._ broad-toothed.
LATIFOLIATE, lat-i-f[=o]'li-[=a]t, _adj._ broad-leafed.--Also
LATIF[=O]'LIOUS.
LATIN, lat'in, _adj._ pertaining to ancient Latium (esp. Rome) or its
inhabitants, also to all races claiming affinity with the Latins by
language, race, or civilisation: written or spoken in Latin.--_n._ an
inhabitant of ancient Latium: a member of a modern race ethnically or
linguistically related to the ancient Romans or Italians: the language of
ancient Rome--the foundation of the modern Romance tongues: a member of the
Latin or Roman Catholic Church.--_adj._ L[=A]'TIAN.--_n._ LAT'INER, one who
knows Latin: (_obs._) an interpreter.--_v.t._ LAT'IN[=I]SE, to give Latin
forms to: to render into Latin.--_ns._ LAT'INISM, a Latin idiom; LAT'INIST,
one skilled in Latin; LATIN'ITY, the Latin tongue, style, or idiom.--LATIN
CHURCH, the Western Church as distinguished from the Greek or Oriental
Church, so named as having employed Latin as its official language: the
Roman Catholic Church; LATIN EMPIRE, that portion of the Byzantine Empire
seized in 1204 by the Crusaders, and overthrown by the Greeks in 1261;
LATIN KINGDOM, the Christian kingdom of Jerusalem ruled by French or Latin
kings, and lasting from 1099 to 1187.--CLASSICAL LATIN, the Latin of the
writers who flourished from about 75 B.C. to 200 A.D.; DOG LATIN, barbarous
Latin; LATE LATIN, the LATIN written by authors between 200 and (_circ._)
600 A.D.; MIDDLE, MEDIEVAL, or LOW LATIN, the Latin of the middle age
between 600 and 1500 A.D.; NEW, MODERN, LATIN, Latin as written between
1500 and the present time, mostly used as a scientific medium; THIEVES'
LATIN, thieves' cant. [L. _Latinus_, belonging to _Latium_, the district
round Rome.]
LATIPENNATE, lat-i-pen'[=a]t, _adj._ broad-winged.
LATIROSTRAL, lat-i-ros'tral, _adj._ broad-billed.--Also LATIROS'TRATE.
LATISSIMUS, l[=a]-tis'i-mus, _n._ the broadest muscle which lies upon the
back.
LATITUDE, lat'i-t[=u]d, _n._ the distance of a place north or south from
the equator, measured in degrees of the meridian: a place as indicated by
latitude: the angular distance of a celestial body above the plane of the
ecliptic (_apparent_ when the point of view is on the earth's surface,
_geocentric_ when at the earth's centre, _heliocentric_ when at the centre
of the sun): (_fig._) extent of signification: freedom from restraint:
scope: (_obs._) width.--_adjs._ LATITUD'INAL, pertaining to latitude: in
the direction of latitude; LATITUDIN[=A]'RIAN, broad or liberal, esp. in
religious belief: lax.--_n._ a name applied by contemporaries to a member
of a school of liberal and philosophical theologians within the English
Church in the later half of the 17th century: one who affects to regard
specific creeds, methods of church government, &c. with indifference.--_n._
LATITUDIN[=A]'RIANISM.--_adj._ LATITUD'INOUS, having latitude or large
extent.--LATITUDE BY ACCOUNT, in navigation, the latitude calculated from
the course and distance sailed since last observation; LATITUDE BY
OBSERVATION, the latitude determined from an observation of a heavenly
body; MIDDLE LATITUDE, the latitude of the parallel midway between two
places situated in the same hemisphere. [Fr.,--L. _latitudo_,
_-inis_--_latus_, broad.]
LATRIA, l[=a]-tr[=i]'a, _n._ the kind of supreme worship lawfully offered
to God alone--opposed to _Dulia_, that given to saints and angels, and to
_Hyperdulia_, that given to the Virgin. [Gr. _latreuein_, to serve.]
LATRINE, lat'rin, _n._ a privy or water-closet in barracks, factories,
hospitals, &c. [Fr.,--L. _lavatrina_, _latrina_--_lav[=a]re_, to wash.]
LATROBE, la-tr[=o]b', _n._ a form of stove set into a fireplace, heating
the room by radiation, and the rooms above by hot air--from I. _Latrobe_ of
Baltimore.
LATROCINIUM, lat-r[=o]-sin'i-um, _n._ the Robber-Council, that held at
Ephesus in 449, in which the doctrines of the heretic Eutyches were upheld
by means of intimidation--its acts revoked at the oecumenical council of
Chalcedon in 451: larceny: right of adjudging and executing thieves. [L.,
robbery.]
LATTEN, lat'en, _n._ brass or bronze used for crosses: sheet tin, tinned
iron-plate. [O. Fr. _laton_ (Fr. _laiton_)--Ger. _latte_, a lath, thin
plate.]
LATTER, lat'[.e]r, _adj._ later: coming or existing after: mentioned the
last of two: modern: recent: (_Shak._) last.--_adjs._ LATT'ER-BORN
(_Shak._), younger; LATT'ER-DAY, belonging to recent times.--_adv._
LATT'ERLY, in latter time: of late.--LATTER-DAY SAINTS (see Mormon); LATTER
END (see END); LATTER-MINT, a late kind of mint.--THE FORMER AND THE LATTER
RAIN (see RAIN). [A variant of _later_.]
LATTICE, lat'is, _n._ a network of crossed laths or bars, called also
LATT'ICE-WORK: anything of lattice-work, as a window: (_her._) a bearing of
vertical and horizontal bars crossing each other.--_v.t._ to form into open
work: to furnish with a lattice.--_ns._ LATT'ICE-BRIDGE, a bridge with its
sides consisting of cross-framing like lattice-work; LATT'ICE-GIRD'ER, a
girder of which the web consists of diagonal pieces arranged like
lattice-work; LATT'ICE-LEAF, an aquatic plant, native to Madagascar, so
called from the singular resemblance of the leaves to open
lattice-work--otherwise _Lattice-plant_, _Lace-leaf_, _Water-yam_, or
_Ouvirandrano_.--RED LATTICE (_Shak._), a frame of lattice-work painted
red, formerly used to fill the windows of an ale-house. [Fr.
_lattis_--_latte_, a lath.]
LAUD, lawd, _v.t._ to praise in words or with singing: to celebrate.--_n._
commendation: praise in divine worship: (_pl._) in the R.C. Church, the
prayers immediately following matins, constituting with the latter the
first of the seven canonical hours.--_adj._ LAUD'ABLE, worthy of being
praised.--_n._ LAUD'ABLENESS.--_adv._ LAUD'ABLY.--_ns._ LAUD[=A]'TION,
praise: honour paid; LAUD'ATIVE, a panegyric, a eulogium.--_adj._
LAUD'ATORY, containing praise: expressing praise.--_n._ that which contains
praise.--_n._ LAUD'ER. [L. _laud[=a]re_--_laus_, _laudis_, praise.]
LAUDANUM, lawd'a-num, _n._ a preparation of opium: tincture of opium. [Same
word as _ladanum_, transferred to a different drug.]
LAUGH, läf, _v.i._ to express mirth or joy by an explosive inarticulate
sound of the voice and peculiar facial distortion: to be gay or lively:
make merry (with _at_), to flout.--_v.t._ to express with a laugh: to
affect in some way by laughter.--_n._ the sound caused by
merriment.--_adj._ LAUGH'ABLE, ludicrous.--_n._ LAUGH'ABLENESS.--_adv._
LAUGH'ABLY.--_ns._ LAUGH'ER; LAUGH'ING-GAS, a gas which excites laughter,
called nitrous oxide, used as an anæsthetic in minor surgical operations,
as in dentistry; LAUGH'ING-JACK'ASS, the great kingfisher of
Australia.--_adv._ LAUGH'INGLY, in a laughing manner.--_ns._
LAUGH'ING-STOCK, an object of ridicule, like something stuck up to be
laughed at; LAUGH'TER, act or noise of laughing.--LAUGH A THING OFF, to
treat as if worthy only of a laugh; LAUGH IN ONE'S SLEEVE, to laugh
inwardly; LAUGH ONE OUT OF, to make a person abandon a habit, &c., by
laughing at him for it; LAUGH ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE MOUTH, to be made
feel disappointment or sorrow, esp. after boasting, &c.; LAUGH TO SCORN, to
deride or jeer at.--HAVE THE LAUGH ON ONE'S SIDE, to be able to laugh at
another through getting the better of him by superior dexterity, &c. [A.S.
_hlihan_; Ger. _lachen_, Goth. _hlahjan_; prob. imit.]
LAUNCE, läns, _n._ Same as LANCE.
LAUNCE, läns, _n._ (_Spens._) a balance. [L. _lanx_, _lancis_, a plate, a
scale of a balance.]
LAUNCH, LANCH, länsh, _v.t._ to throw as a lance or spear: (_Shak._) to
pierce or cut with a lance: to send forth: to cause to slide into the
water.--_v.i._ to go forth, as a ship into the water: to come into new
relations, make a transition.--_n._ act of launching or moving a
newly-built ship from the stocks into the water: the largest boat carried
by a man-of-war: (_Spens._) a lancing.--_n.pl._ LAUNCH'ING-WAYS, the
timbers on which a ship is launched.--_n._ STEAM'-LAUNCH, a large
passenger-boat propelled by steam-power, and used largely on rivers. [O.
Fr. _lanchier_, _lancier_ (Fr. _lancer_). See LANCE.]
LAUND, lawnd, _n._ (_Shak._) a park. [O. Fr. _lande_; prob. Celt. See
LAWN.]
LAUNDRESS, lawn'dres, _n._ a woman who washes and irons clothes.--_n._
LAUN'DER, a washerwoman or washerman: a trough for conveying water.--_v.t._
to wash and iron, as clothes: (_Shak._) to wet, wash.--_ns._ LAUN'DRY, a
place where clothes are washed and dressed; LAUN'DRY-MAN, -MAID, a male,
female, worker in a laundry. [M. E. _lavander_--O. Fr. _lavandier_--L.,
gerundive of _lav[=a]re_ to wash.]
LAURA, law'ra, _n._ an early kind of monastic community, its cells separate
structures, the inmates living in solitude, meeting only for common
services in the chapel--found only in Egypt, Syria, and Palestine. [Most
prob. Gr. _laura_, an alley, lane.]
LAUREATE, law're-[=a]t, _adj._ crowned with laurel.--_n._ one crowned with
laurel: a poet-laureate.--_v.t._ to crown with laurel, in token of literary
merit: to confer a degree upon.--_ns._ LAU'REATESHIP, office of a laureate;
LAURE[=A]'TION, act of laureating or conferring a degree;
P[=O]'ET-LAU'REATE, formerly one who received a degree in grammar (i.e.
poetry and rhetoric) at the English universities: a poet bearing that
honorary title, a salaried officer in the royal household, appointed to
compose annually an ode for the king's birthday and other suitable
occasions.
LAUREL, law'rel, _n._ the bay-tree, used by the ancients for making
honorary wreaths: a crown of laurel, honours gained (freq. in _pl._): any
species of the genus _Laurus_.--_adjs._ LAU'REL; LAU'RELLED, crowned with
laurel.--_n._ LAU'REL-WA'TER, a sedative and narcotic water distilled from
the leaves of the cherry-laurel.--_adjs._ LAURIF'EROUS, producing laurel;
LAU'RIGER, laurel-wearing.--_n_ LAURUST[=I]'NUS, an evergreen shrub. [Fr.
_laurier_--L. _laurus_.]
LAURENTIAN, law-ren'shi-an, _adj._ pertaining to _Lorenzo_ or LAURENTIUS
dei Medici, or to the Laurentian library founded by him at Florence: of or
pertaining to the river St _Lawrence_: applied to a series of rocks
covering a large area in the region of the Upper Lakes of North America.
LAUWINE, law'vin, _n._ (_Byron_) an avalanche. [Ger., from Low L. _lavina_,
prob. L. _labi_, to fall.]