Forms: α. 1 lætt, (pl. lætta, latta), 5–8 latt, 6–7 latte, 5, 7–9 dial. lat; pl. 4–6 lattes, -is, 5 lattys, lates, latez, 6 layttes, 6– latts, 8– lats. β. 4–6 lathe, (4 laþþe, latthe), 6– lath. [OE. lætt sb. fem. (whence mod. dial. lat) corresponds to MDu. latte (Du. lat), HG. dial. latz, Da. (16th c.) latte, lætte, lecthe (now lægte, which is phonetically difficult). The ME. laþþe, from which the modern standard Eng. form descends, prob. represents an OE. *læþþ-, as this would correspond to the synonymous OHG. lat(t)a, ladda (MHG., mod.G. latte); but the mutual relation of the two types is obscure, and the occurrence of a geminated þ in OTeut. has no known parallel or explanation. Some scholars think that the substitution of þ for t was due to the influence of the synonymous (and perh. cognate) Welsh llath = Irish slat:—OCeltic *slattā. The Teut. word has passed into the Rom. langs. (cf. It. latta, Sp. lata, F. latte); it is usu. regarded as cogn. w. MHG. lade plank (mod.G. laden counter, shop).]
1. A thin narrow strip of wood used to form a groundwork upon which to fasten the slates or tiles of a roof or the plaster of a wall or ceiling, and in the construction of lattice or trellis work and Venetian blinds. Double, single, pantile lath: see quots. 1825, 1842–59.
α. c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 126. Asseres, lætta.
c. 1050. Suppl. Ælfric’s Gloss., ibid. 185. Asseres, latta, uel reafteres.
1361–2. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 385. Cum calce, lattes, et sclatstan.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 756*. [He] stighillys hym in som stede, a stable by hym one, With lang lates of yren, þat he might lig in.
c. 1425. St. Mary of Oignies, I. ii. in Anglia, VIII. 136/1. She slepte but litil & þat vpon a fewe lattys.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 642. Be þe lattis it toke festnyng.
1483–4. in Swayne, Churchw. Acc. Sarum (1896), 33. For v bondellez of latez.
1515–6. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 253. In le Storehouse … ccc layttes.
1578. Richmond. Wills (Surtees, 1853), 282. Woodd and bords … with stangs, hots, and cares, and spelks, and latts, xxs.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 148. They will sowe downe theire thatch in fower places … allsoe sowinge once aboute a latte, ever betwixt sparre and sparre.
1662. J. Davies, trans. Olearius’ Voy. Ambass., 395. The houses of this Village were very wretched ones, as being built only with lats nail’d across, and plaister’d over with clay.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words, 29. A Lath is also called a Lat in the Northern Dialect.
1779. Mann, in Phil. Trans., LXIX. 626. Latts … were nailed against each end.
1878. Cumbrld. Gloss., Lat, lath … ‘As thin as a lat.’
1886. S. W. Linc. Gloss., Lat, a lath.
β. 1330. Kenfig Ord., in Gross, Gild Merch., II. 134. Noe burgess shall buy … boards, lathes, tyles.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 167. Bi þe laþþis þei senten him doun, wiþ his bed.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. clxvii. (1495), 711. The lathe is longe and somwhat brode and playne and thyn and is naylled thwart ouer to the rafterers and theron hangyth slattes, tyle and shyngles.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 15. They [harowe bulles] … haue shotes of wode put through theym lyke lathes.
1563. Hyll, Art Garden. (1593), 7. The Romans vsed to inclose and fence their gardens with stakes and laths.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 244. Laths … are made of heart of Oak, for outside Work…; and of Fir for inside Plastering.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v., A Bundle of Laths is generally call’d a Hundred of Laths.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 611. The single are the thinnest … those called lath and half, are supposed to be one third thicker than the single; and the double laths are twice that thickness.
1842–59. Gwilt, Archit., Gloss s.v., Lath, Pantile laths are long square pieces of fir, on which the pantiles hang.
1866. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, I. xx. 487. Stout oak laths rent from heart timber.
1881. Young, Every Man his own Mechanic, § 175. Specialities in Venetian blind laths. Ibid., § 445. In planing … laihs for trellis-work.
b. collect. Laths as a material used in building (chiefly as a groundwork for a coating of plaster) to form a wall or partition. Freq. in lath and plaster (often written with hyphens, esp. when used attrib. or quasi-adj.); also rarely lath and clay.
1573. Tusser, Husb., xvii. (1878), 36. A frower of iron, for cleaning of lath.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 79. Ruff cast upon Lath … is worth eighteen pence the yard.
1715. Prior, Down-Hall, 152. A house should be built, or with brick, or with stone. Why ’tis plaster and lath.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. xiv. (1840), 285. It was … a house built, as we call it in England, with lath and plaster.
1765. Griffith, in Phil. Trans., LV. 274. A lath and plaister wall.
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., I. Wks. 1834, II. 150. A paltry screen Of paper’d lath.
1839. Carlyle, Chartism, viii. (1840), 72. Dons, Tons … not a few … of burnt brick, of timber, of lath-and-clay.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, xvi. 269. Buildings of lath and plaster.
1866. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, I. xx. 496. Lath-and-plaster work.
2. In wider application: A thin, narrow, flat piece of wood used for any purpose. Also, as the material of a counterfeit weapon, as bow, sword of lath. † Dagger of lath: see DAGGER 1 b.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. iv. 5. No Cupid … Bearing a Tartar’s painted Bow of lath.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farm, 35. Hee shall cut the roots of the Vines, and set square Laths or Props for the defending of them.
1658. A. Fox, Würtz’ Surg., II. xvii. 124. One lath or splinter will serve the turn here. And apply the lath either above or below the great sinew on the Arm.
1796. J. Owen, Trav. Europe, II. 504. An old woman … holding a lath lighted at one end.
1820. Scott, Ivanhoe, i. A sword of lath.
b. transf., applied to what is slender or fragile.
1633. Quarles, Prelim. Verses to Fletcher’s Purple Isl. His ribs are laths, daub’d o’re Plaister’d with flesh, and bloud.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand. (1812), I. 59. You man of lath.
1799. Mad. D’Arblay, Lett. to Dr. Burney, July. ‘You used to be as thin as Dr. Lind,’ says the King. Lind was then in sight—a mere lath.
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, II. i. Interl. Some phantom, fashionably thin, With limb of lath.
3. The bending part of an arbalest or cross-bow.
1545. Rates Custom ho., a vii, Crosbowe lathes the pounde iiiid.
1685. Boyle, Effects of Mot., viii. 91. When the Lath of a Cross-bow stands bent.
4. attrib. and Comb. a. simple attributive, as lath-hammer, -wood; b. quasi-adj. (in sense of ‘made of a lath or of laths,’ as lath-house, partition, sword, wall, -work; c. objective, as lath-cleaver, -maker, -render, -river, -splitter, -splitting; d. parasynthetic and similative, as lath-backed, -legged, -like adjs. e. special combinations, as lath-bedstead, a bedstead with laths to support the bedding; lath-brick, a long narrow brick used for the floors of grain-kilns; † lath-brod, ? a small lath-nail; lath-coop, -pot U.S. (see quot. for lath-pot). Also LATH-NAIL.
1676. Wycherley, Pl. Dealer, II. i. Thou pitiful, paltry, *lath-back’d Fellow.
1830. R. B. Peake, Crt. & City, I. iii. Brother, observe his make—none of your lath-backed wishy-washy breed.
1806. Med. Jrnl., XV. 11. A *lath bedstead.
1677. Plot, Oxfordsh., 251. *Lath-bricks … are put in the place of the Laths or Spars (supported by Pillars) in Oasts for drying mault.
1823. P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 587. Lath-bricks … used for drying malt upon.
1536–7. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 698. 2000 *latbroddes ad 2s. 1d.
1620. Naworth Househ. Bks. (Surtees), 132, c. of late broades, iijd.
1622. Canterb. Marriage Licences (MS.), Will’m Paine of the Citty of Cant. *latcleaver.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 612. The lath-cleavers having cut their timber … cleave each piece with wedges.
1573. Tusser, Husb., xvii. (1878), 37. A *lath hammer.
1882. Garden, 7 Jan., 1/2. Azaleas, &c. are kept under a *lath-house shelter through the summer months.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 78. The .ix. propertyes of an asse … the syxte, to be *lathe-legged.
1611. Cotgr., Tringle, a … *lath-like peece of wood.
1674. Moxon, Tutor Astron. (ed. 3), 201. A sphear is complicated only of Lath-like Circles to represent each Orb.
1530. Palsgr., 237/2. *Lathe maker, faisevr de lattes.
1533. MS. Acc. St. John’s Hosp., Canterb., To the lathe maker … xvijd.
1607. Canterb. Marriage Licences (MS.), Abraham Garke of Marden, latmaker.
1886. Ruskin, Præterita, I. 286. Separated only by a *lath partition.
1887. G. B. Goode, etc., Fisheries of U.S., II. 666. The term *lath-pot is almost universally employed to designate the common forms of closed lobster traps,… providing they are constructed of laths or of any narrow strips of wood. Other names … are ‘box-traps,’ house-pots,’ ‘stick-pots,’ *‘lath-coops.’
1688. Lond. Gaz., No. 2318/4. A Man … by Trade a Hoopshaver, or *Lathrender.
1610. in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1898), XIII. 524. A *lath Ryver.
1876. Whitby Gloss., Lat-river, one who splits laths for the plasterers.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, *Lath-splitter.
1882. Ogilvie, *Lath-splitting.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 168. The God obscene, who frights away, With his *Lath Sword, the Thiefs and Birds of Prey.
1756. Bp. Pococke, Trav. (1889), II. 228. Outhouses … built … with what they call *lath walls.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 16. Ashen barres … very streight and riven very thinne allmost like unto *latte-wood.
1887. Moloney, Forestry W. Afr., 3. Foreign and Colonial Timber used for … lath-wood, shingles for roofs, &c.
1611. Cotgr., Latage … *lath-worke.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 79. Ruff cast upon Lath-work, the owner finding all, is worth eight pence a yard.
1863. R. B. Peacock, S. Lonsdale Dial., in Trans. Philol. Soc., 262. He’s gloorin out a ’t winda, èn shewin’ hissel through ’t lat-wark.
