Forms: 4–5 (also 9 arch.) latoun, latun, 5–6 latyn, 5–7, 9 laten, (5 latoen, -one), 5–8 latin, 6 lattinne, -oun, -yne, yng, latynn, 6–7 latine, lattyn(n, 6–9 lattin, (7 laden), 4– laton, 5– latton, latten. [a. OF. laton, leiton, mod.F. laiton = Pr. lato, Sp. laton, Pg. latão, Piedmontese loton, It. ottone (the initial l having been dropped through being mistaken for the def. article). The relation between these forms is obscure; if the Fr. form be original, it would point to a popular L. type *lactōn-em; if the word was originally Sp., it may be a derivative of Com. Rom. *latta lath, tin-plate (It. latta, Sp., Pg. lata, F. latte; of Teut. origin: see LATH). From Fr. the word was adopted into the Teut. and Slav. langs.: cf. Du. latoen, ON. látun, Russian латунь.]
1. A mixed metal of yellow color, either identical with, or closely resembling, brass; often hammered into thin sheets. Now only arch. and Hist.
The word occurs not infrequently as a translation of L. orichalcum.
[1339. in Riley, Lond. Mem. (1868), 205. Sex Instrumenta de latone, vocitata Gonnes.]
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 4367. His fete er like latoun bright Als in a chymne brynnand light.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Kings vii. 45. Alle the vessels … weren of latoun [L. de aurichalco].
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 699. He hadde a croys of laton ful of stones. Ibid., Frankl. T., 517. Phebus wax old and hewed lyk laton.
14[?]. Sir Beues (MS. M), 1134. Pelouris and durris were all of brasse, With laten sett and with glasse.
c. 1425. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 653/15. Hoc auricalcum, latone.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VI. clvi. 145. An horologe or a clocke of laten.
1528. More, Dyaloge, I. Wks. 132/2. Whan we se dayly a great pece of siluer, brasse, laten or yron drawen at length into smale wier.
1538. Inv., in Archæologia, LI. 71. Itm the laton on the larestones, vs.
1553. Inv. Ch. Goods, Stafford, in Ann. Dioc. Lichfield (1863), 49. ij candelstyks of lattyn, one crysmatorye of latten.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Rev. i. 15. And his feete like to latten as in a burning fornace.
1600. Dekker, Fortunatus, Wks. 1873, I. 124. Whether it were lead or lattin that haspt downe those winking casements, I knowe not.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, III. xiii. (1840), 138. It was concluded, that they should not celebrate the sacrament in glass … but in chalices of latten.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., Direct. Melons, 4. The Noses of the Pipes might easily be Inserted into a larger Pipe of Laton.
1715. Leoni, Palladio’s Archit. (1742), I. 5. Latten … is another sort of Copper colour’d with Lapis Calaminaris.
1885. R. F. Burton, 1001 Nts., I. 141. A dome of yellow laton from Andalusia.
1890. W. Morris, in Eng. Illustr. Mag., July, 755. She brought him the hand-washing water in a basin of latten.
b. Black latten = latten-brass (see 3 b). Shaven latten, a thinner kind than black latten. Roll latten, latten polished on both sides ready for use (Simmonds, Dict. Trade, 1858).
1660. Act 12 Chas. II., c. 4. Sched. Rates Inwards, Lattin vocant blacke Lattin the hundred weight … ij li. shaven Lattin … iij li. vj s. viij d.
1714. Fr. Bk. of Rates, 413. His Majesty … does permit the Danish and Swedish Ships to come loaded with … Latten-black, or ruled.
1812. J. Smyth, Pract. of Customs (1821), 120. Shaven Latten is distinguished from Black Latten by its thinness and brightness on both sides of the sheets.
2. Iron tinned over, tin-plate; more explicitly white latten. Also, any metal made in thin sheets. Now dial.
1611. Cotgr., Fer blanc, White Lattin.
1615. De Montfort’s Surv. E. Ind., 37. A little hollow pipe of white latten.
1659. Boyle, Contn. New Exp., I. (1682), 43. Pipes of … Tin or Laton as they call thin Plates of Iron Tinn’d over.
1676. Worlidge, Cyder (1691), 147. Your vessel ought to be of latten … the tin yielding no bad tincture to the liquor.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Latten or Lattin, Iron tinn’d over.
1728. Rutty, in Phil. Trans., XXXV. 630. The making of Tin-plates, or Lattin, as it is called, being not commonly practised in England.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 238. The art of making tin places or latten.
1812. J. Smyth, Pract. of Customs (1821), 120. Iron Plates tinned over are sometimes termed Latten.
a. 1825. in Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Latten, We do not mean any mixed metal, but give the name to common tin-plate.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Latten, thin metal. Metal in sheets.
3. attrib. often passing into adj. = Consisting or made of latten.
1492. Nottingham Rec., III. 24. j laton bason, pretii ijs.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. Prol. 4. Cleir schynand bemys, and goldin symmeris hew, In lattoun colour altering haill of new.
1529. Churchw. Acc. St. Giles, Reading, 37. Laten wire for the chyme.
1608. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. IV. Decay, 944. A Dry-fat, sheath’d in latton plates with-out.
1623. Webster, Devil’s Law-Case, IV. ii. Here’s a latten spoon, and a long one, to feed with the devil.
1655. Marq. Worcester, Cent. Inv., § 39. A Lattin or Plate Lanthorn.
1670–1. Narborough, Jrnl., in Acc. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1711), 37. In a hole of the Pool lay a Latten or Tin Box.
1673. Shadwell, Epsom Wells, IV. ii. Wks. (1720), 248. No people in the world can make Lattin ware, or work our tin well but they.
1714. Fr. Bk. of Rates, 270. Latin Plates or White Iron per Barrel containing 450 double Plates.
1729. Shelvocke, Artillery, v. 398. Bind it upon them with Iron or Latin Wyre.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xi. A latten chain will become me as well as beaten gold.
1865. Swinburne, Masque Q. Bersabe, 85. Low-barred latoun shot-windows.
1877. W. Jones, Finger-ring, 89. A massive latten thumb-ring.
b. Latten-bress, milled brass in thin plates or sheets, used by braziers and for drawing into wire.
1676. W. B[rowne], Man. Goldsm., 97. The Grain Weights are made of pieces of thin Brass, commonly called Latin-Brass.
1812. J. Smyth, Pract. of Customs (1821), 120. Black Latten, or Latten Brass, is imported in thin sheets of various sizes, sometimes scraped with a knife.
¶ Used with a pun on Latin.
1607. Brewer, Lingua, III. v. F 2. Congealing English Tynne, Græcian Gold, Romaine Latine all in a lumpe.
1624. Bedell, Lett., vi. 96. The Barbarous not Latine but lead of the stile,… doe conuince them of falshood.
1631. Brathwait, Whimzies, 119. Of all metals, hee hates Latin: for hee hath heard how it was sometime the Roman tongue.
a. 1655. Sir N. L’Estrange, in Shaks. C. Praise, 282. [Alleged saying of Shaks.], I faith Ben: I’le e’en give him a douzen good Lattin Spoones, and thou shalt translate them.
