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lathering

 [lath-er]   Origin

lath·er

1   [lath-er]
noun
1.
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.
2.
foam or froth formed in profuse sweating, as on a horse.
3.
Informal. a state of excitement, agitation, nervous tension, or the like: He was in a lather over my delay.
verb (used without object)
4.
to form a lather: a soap that lathers well.
5.
to become covered with lather, as a horse.

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Lathering is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
verb (used with object)
6.
to apply lather to; cover with lather: He lathered his face before shaving.
7.
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
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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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
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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