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lather

[lath-er]

Origin

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noun

foam or froth made by a detergent, especially soap, when stirred or rubbed in water, as by a brush used in shaving or by hands in washing.

foam or froth formed in profuse sweating, as on a horse.

Informal. a state of excitement, agitation, nervous tension, or the like: He was in a lather over my delay.

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verb (used without object)

to form a lather: a soap that lathers well.

to become covered with lather, as a horse.

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to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.

chat, to converse

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verb (used with object)

to apply lather to; cover with lather: He lathered his face before shaving.

Informal. to beat or whip.

Origin:
before 950; Middle English; Old English lēathor soap; cognate with Old Norse lauthr (Icelandic löthur) lather, foam

Related forms

lath·er·er, noun

un·lath·ered, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun

a worker who puts up laths.

Origin:
lath + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To lather

Collins

World English Dictionary

lather (ˈlɑːðə, ˈlæ-)

—n
1.	foam or froth formed by the action of soap or a detergent in water
2.	foam formed by other liquid, such as the sweat of a horse
3.	informal a state of agitation or excitement

—vb
4.	to coat or become coated with lather
5.	(intr) to form a lather

[Old English lēathor soap; related to Old Norse lauthr foam]

'lathery

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

lather

O.E. lauþr "foam, washing soda," from P.Gmc. *lauþran (cf. O.N. lauðr "washing soap, foam"), from PIE *loutrom (cf. Gaul. lautron, O.Ir. loathar "bathing tub," Gk. louein "to bathe," L. lavere "to wash"), which is from base *lou- "to wash" + instrumentative suffix *-tro-. Meaning "state

EXPAND

of agitation" (such as induces sweating) is from 1839. The verb is from O.E. laþran, from P.Gmc. *lauþrjan.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

lather

see in a lather.