latch 
kind discharged h y latcn - () 1" a knitting-machine, 
same a flyi, 3 (d). Dead latch. Sec dead latch. On 
the latch, not locked, but fastened only by a latch ; hence, 
easy to be opened ; inviting entrance. 
They found the door on the latch. Dickeni. 
latch 2 (lach), v. t. [A var. of letch*, leach*-, < 
ME. "lecrhi'H, < AS. lecean, moisten, wot: see 
Iml,; of which laW, letch*, leach* is ult. the 
causal form. Cf . Sw. //., (list il, fall by drops, 
laka pd, pour on, as water on mash, = Dan. luge, 
lay in lu-inc. HI-HCT lnt<-lt-/><iii.] 1. Tf]iouror 
drip (water); dribble. [Prov. Eng.] 2t. To 
drip a liquid upon ; moisten. 
But hast thou yet latch'd the Athenian's eyes 
With the love-juice, as I did bid thee do'( 
Xlutk., M. N. D., 11L 2. 36. 
3. Sec l<;l,'li". 
The tanning materials so prepared are next leached, 
latched, or infused for preparing the strongest tanning so- 
lutions. Encyc. Brit., XIV. 882. 
latch 3 (lach), . [< ME. lache, leehe, a pit, hole ; 
perhaps an assibilated form of lake*, in similar 
seuse: see lake*.] A miry place. [Scotch.] 
"If we were ance by Withershli.'i latch, the road ' no 
.. They soon came to the place he named, 
3363 
He poiir'd his latest blood In manly fight, 
And fell a hero in his country's right. 
Pope, Iliad, xxlv. 265. 
3. Recent ; of recent origin or existence ; not 
of old date: as, the latest fashion ; late news. 
After her Noble husbands late deoene. 
Spenitr, F. Q., V. x. 11. 
Our late edict shall strongly stand In force. 
Shak., L. L. L., L L IL 
111 matching words, and deeds long past or late. 
Milton, P. L., v. 118. 
The ground of the city [Laodlceal is risen very much, 
having been often destroyed by earthquakes, which of late 
years have been greater here than at Antloch. 
Poeocke, Description of the East, IL L 197. 
4. Comparatively recent (with reference to 
something older); of a comparatively recent 
date or period: as, late (medieval) glass; late 
(Greek) sculpture or epigraphy. 
The Dome, or hut Judgment, Is shown In late but beau- 
tiful Flemish stained glass at Fairford. 
Kock, Church of our Fathers, III. L 194, note. 
6. Recently existing, but not now; not long 
past: as, the late rains. 
Now was not fltt time to offer Battcll. whfle hta men were 
scarce recover'd of so late a fear. MUton, Hist. Eng., it 
latedt(la'ted),a. 
Ur-latcd; kept too late. 
latent 
[< late* + -erf 2 . 
Cf. belated.] 
Now spun the lated traveller apace. 
To gain the timely Inn. Shak., Macbeth, I1L 3. . 
Cupid abroad was lated in the night 
Greene, Sonnet 
(la-ten'), a. [A 'phonetic' spelling of 
F. latine (voile latine, lit. ' Latin sail,' alluding to 
its use in the Mediterranean), fern, of latin,< L. 
Latin us, Latin: see Latin.] Literally, Latin: a 
word used only in lateen sail, fatten yard, lateen 
rig. Also spelled lattrt-n Lateen nil. a triangu- 
lar sail extended by a long tapering yard, slung at about 
ne'er sae salt .. . 
a narrow channel through which soaked, rather than 
flowed, a small stagnant stream. Q Recently acting; in a series, immediately 
toet. Guy Mannering, xxlli. din ^ &t wh * ch now exi9t8: a9> the to(e 
latch-drawert (lach'dri'er), . [ME.,< latch*, administration. 7. Deceased. 
n., + drawer.] A lifter of the latch; one who of which IIUMI 
sneaks into houses to steal ; a thief. Skeat. 
Al that holy eremytes hateden and desplsedc, 
As rychesses and reuerences and ryche inclines almcsse, 
These lolleres, lacchedraicrres, lewede ereraytes, 
Coueyten the contrarie ; as cotters thel lybben. 
Piert Plowman (C\ x. 192. 
The late lord came to London with lour postchaises and 
sixteen horses. . . . The present lord travels with five bag- 
men in a railway carriage. Thackeray, Pendennia, Ixviii. 
Late Greek, Latin, etc. See the nouns. To keep late 
latchet (lach'et), . [< ME. lachet,< OF. lacet, hours. See keep.=Byn. 3. Recent, fresh, etc. See new. 
lasset (also *lachetf), dim. of las. las, F. lacs, a late 1 (lat), adv. [< ME. late; < late*, a.] 1. After 
string, lace : see lace. The worn is now appar. the usual time or the time appointed ; after de- 
regarded as < latch* + -et*.] The strap or thong lay : as, fruits that ripen late. 
by which a shoe or sandal is fastened. 
Our late King, Richard, being infected, died. one quarter the distance from the lower end, which Is 
Shak., 2 Hen. IV., iv. L 58. *- - - 
, 
brought down at the tack, causing the yard to stand at an 
angle of 45 or more : ued in xebecs, feluccas, etc. , on the 
Mediterranean, In boats on the Lake of Geneva, etc. 
On before the freshening gale, 
That fills the snow-white lateen tail, 
Swiftly our light felucca flies. 
Longfellow, Golden Legend, v. 
We set two huge triangular lateen satis on our low masts, 
which raked forwards Instead of backwards. 
R. Curzon, Monast. In the Levant, p. \'->. 
One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes 
I am not worthy to unloose. Luke 111. 16. 
Day, like a weary pilgrim, had reached the western gate 
of heaven, and evening stooped down to unloose the latch- 
eti of his sandal-shoon. Longfellow, Hyperion, iv. 5. 
latching (lach'ing), n. [Verbal n. of latch*-, v.] 
Naut., same as latch* (c). 
latch-key (lach'ke), n. A key used to raise or 
throw back the latch of a door and allow one 
to enter from the side on which the knob does 
not control the latch. See night-key. 
What would our grandmothers . . . think . . . now, 
when husbands stay at home, and wives go abroad with 
the latch-key ? Thackeray, Our Street, Jolly Newboy, Esq. 
latch-lock (lach'lok), n. Same as spring-lock. 
latch-pan (lach'pan),n. [<latch%,v.,2, -rpan.] 
A dripping-pan. [Prov. Eng.] 
latch-string (lach' string), n. A string passed 
outward through a hole in a door for the pur- 
pose of raising a latch on the inside. 
Zeke impatiently rattled the door of the cabin, the latch- 
ttring of which had been drawn in to lock it. 
E. Kgyletton, The Graysons, xxiv. 
The latch-string Is out, the door Is ready to be opened : 
an expression of invitation and welcome. 
late 1 (lat), a. ; compar. later, superl. latest, also, late s t, 
in somewhat different use, compar. latter, su- Iate 4 t, 
A two-masted laUener. Uarper't Mag., LXXV. 462. 
Pope, Iliad, xx. 239. lately (lat'li), adv. Recently ; of late ; not long 
2. Not long since ; recently; of late. 
Where is the life that late I led? 
Shot., 2 Hen. IV., v. 3. 146. 
In this room where so late 
You dealt out law adroitly. 
Brimming, Ring and Book, L 319. 
3. Beyond the usual or proper time: as, to lie 
abed late. 
Late [let] him late & erll where him liked wende. 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. 8-X L 4052. 
So, well go no more a roving 
So late Into the night. 
Byron, So, well go no more a roving. 
Of late, lately ; in time not long past or near the present : latency (la'ten-si ), n. 
ago; not long before. 
The Marquis of Northampton and Sir Henry Gates, late- 
ly before condemned to die, were now pardon'd. and set 
at liberty. Baker, Chronicles, p. 317. 
Many a fair cheek was blanched with woe, which had 
lately mantled with secret admiration. 
Irving, Granada, p. 101. 
latent, An early form of latten. 
latence (la'tens), n. [< laten(t) + -ce.] Same 
as latency. 
Infinite Love, 
Whose latence is the plenitude of all 
Coleridge, Destiny of Nations. 
[< laten(t) + -cy.] The 
as, the practice is of late uncommon. 
Our pleasant Willy, ah ! Is dead of late. 
Spcnter, Tears of the Muses, L 208. 
It is no shame to be a poet, though it Is to be a bad 
one. Augustus fassar of old, and Cardinal Richelieu of 
late, would willingly have been such. 
Dryden, Orig. and Prog, of Satire. 
late 2 , f. t. See laift. 
A Middle English form of let*. 
[ME., < Icel. lat, in pi. manners, tett, 
, 
perl, last (see latter, last*). [< ME. lat (usually manner.] Manner; behavior. 
inflected, late, etc.), < AS. last, slow, late, = 
Bot thow in this perelle put of the bettlre, 
Thow salle be my presonere for ajle thy prowde late*! 
"orte **" (E- * T - 8 ->- L * 
, , ., 
OS. lat = OFries. let = D. laat = MLG. lat, LG. 
lat = OHG. lag, MHG. tar, G. lass, slow, weary, 
= Icel. latr = Dan. lad = Sw. lat, late, slow, late s t, [ME., < Icel. tetf, sound; cf. late*.] 
tardy, = Goth, lats, slothful; prob. from the A sound; voice. 
root of let*, AS. laitan, etc., and akin to L. las- 
sws (for 'ladtus, orig. pp.), weary (see lassitude, 
Than have we liking to lithe the latet of the fonles. 
King Alexander, p. 149. 
-,. . 
L. Iatebra, a hiding-place, < fafcfe, Ue hld: 8ee 
(lor'ladtus, orig. pp.), weL__ 
ate*). The verb left, hinder, is from late*-.] 1. Iatebra (lat'e-brS), .; pi. /ate&ro!(-bre> pfL., 
Coming, appearing, or continuing after the usual 
or proper time ; slow or tardy ; long delayed ; 
prolonged; behind time: opposed to early: as, 
a late arrival ; a late summer; a late embryo. 
After Milce (mercy) wel aeorne [yearningly] he crlede, 
thelj hit late were. Holy Rood (E. E. T. S.X p. 19. 
Come, temperate nymphs, and help to celebrate 
A contract of true love ; be not too late. 
state of being latent or concealed ; unobserved 
or undeveloped existence. 
Algte, seeds of phanerogamic plants, Infusoria, and even 
Mollusca and leeches, were found to be thrown Into a con- 
dition of sleep, or latency. Science, IV. 210. 
With minor criminals, what society ought to aim at la 
the reduction of the criminal anomaly to latency. 
Mind, XIII. 452. 
In disinfecting filth, the work . . . ought to be repeat- 
ed several times, remembering the law of latency In con- 
nection with disease-germs. Sanitarium, XIV. 145. 
lateness (lat'nes), . 1. The state of being late 
or tardy, or of coming or appearing after the 
usual or proper time : as, the7ateties of harvest. 
2. Time far advanced in any particular pe- 
riod: as, lateness in the season. 
Your lateness In life . . . might be Improper to begin 
the world with, but almost the eldest men may hope to 
change* In a court. S<t\ft, To Gay, Nov. 28, 1727. 
Recency, absolute or comparative; recent 
To meet the rudeness and swill'd insolence 
Of such late wassailers. Milton, Comus, 1. 179. places. J 
Garden-herbs and fruit, 
The latr and early roses from his wall. 
Tennyson, Enoch Arden. 
there" is an interior ball of white yolk, con- 
nected by a thread of the same substance with 
the tread or cicatricula on the surface of the 
yolk. 
Latebricolae (lat-e-brik'o-le), n. pi. [NL., pi. 
of LL. latebricola, one who dwells in lurking- 
. The name applied bv Walckenaer to 
a group of spiders which live in holes. The di- 
vision included the " theraphoses " of his systm, all of 
The tarantulas (Mygalida) are 
which have eight eyes. 
2. Being or coming near the end or close; far jatebncble (la-teb'ri-kol), a. [< LL. latebricola, 
advanced in time; last: as, a late hour of the one who Dwells in lurking-places, < L. Iatebra, 
be hidden.] 1. Hidden; concealed; not visible 
or apparent; not manifested: as, latent mo- 
tives; latent germs of disease. 
They are shut and latent ID dead bodies, though they be 
open and manifest in live. 
Bacon, Advancement of Learning, ii. 194. 
The glittering helm by moonlight will proclaim 
The latent robber, and prevent his game. 
Dryden, Speeches of A]ax and llyssen, L 172. 
Every breach of veracity Indicates some latent vice, or 
some criminal Intention, which an individual Is ashamed 
to avow. D. Swarf, Outlines of Moral Philosophy. 
To eroke the latent genius of the nation, and to direct 
nm. i S t. ,,. uuui . .. one who dwells in lurking-places, <i n. la ira, To OToke the tafe-n/ genius of the nation, and to direct 
day; a late period of life; set the latest time a hiding-place (see Iatebra), + colere, dwell.] it to the spheres in which it is most fitted to excel, is one 
you can. Living or hiding in holes, as a spider. of the highest ends of enlightened sutenianhip. 
rw, it <rmr Intr well to bed. I.*~v2_ /Vii/Zhim.Y (( T. InUhrniHix. full i*, Eng. In lt>th cent., UL 
Come : it grows late ; well to bed. latebrous (lat'e-brus), a. ' [< L. latebrnsvs, full 
Shak., 2 Hen. IV., ii. 4. 299. hi ,Hn K -places, < Iatebra, a hiding-place, lurk- 2. In bot., dormant or undeveloped: said of 
You need not bid me fly ; I came to part, ing-hole: see Iatebra.] Full of lurking-holes, buds which are not externally manifest until 
Bailey. 1731. stimulated to growth. Latent ambiguity, a doubt 
To take my latest leave." Farewell for evrr. 
Beau, and Ft. Philaster, Hi. 2. 
