lather en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈlæð.ɚ/ (General-American)
- /ˈlɑː.ðə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- lăth'ə (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈlæð.ə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Australia) audio
- lä'thə (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English lather, from Old English lēaþor (“a kind of nitre used for soap, soda”), from Proto-West Germanic *lauþr, from Proto-Germanic *lauþrą (“that which is used for washing, soap”), from Proto-Indo-European *lówh₃trom (“that which is used for washing”), from *lewh₃-, *lowh₃- (“to wash, bathe”). Cognate with Swedish lödder (“lather, foam, froth, soap”), Icelandic löður (“foam, froth, a kind of niter used for soap”), Old Irish loathar (“wash-basin”), Ancient Greek λουτρόν (loutrón, “a bath, wash-room”), Latin lavō (“to wash”), Albanian laj (“to wash”), Ancient Greek λούω (loúō). More at lye. Compare typologically Russian мы́ло (mýlo) (a nomen instrumenti of мыть (mytʹ)).
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) The foam made by rapidly stirring soap and water.
Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.
1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 1: Telemachus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part I [Telemachia], page 3:
- (countable, uncountable) Foam from profuse sweating, as of a horse.
- (countable) A state of agitation.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| lathers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
lathery · latherwort · latherless · latherin · in a lather
Synonyms
Translations (58)
de Pferdeschaum (foam from profuse sweating) · ota كوپوك (foam of soap and water) · fr mousse de savon (foam of soap and water) · mn хөөс (foam of soap and water) · cmn 泡沫兒 /泡沫儿 (foam of soap and water) · no skum (foam of soap and water) · bg сапунена пяна (foam of soap and water) · gl escuma (foam of soap and water) · uk піна (foam from profuse sweating) · hu hab (foam of soap and water) · cs pěna (foam from profuse sweating) · ja 泡 (foam of soap and water) · fr écume (foam from profuse sweating) · pt espuma (foam of soap and water) · pl piana mydlana (foam of soap and water) · cy trochion (foam of soap and water) · ru мы́льная пе́на (foam of soap and water) · bcl subo (foam of soap and water) · ga sobal (foam of soap and water) · tr köpük (foam of soap and water) · hu szappanhab (foam of soap and water) · fi vaahto (foam from profuse sweating) · ga brat allais (foam from profuse sweating) · uk мило (foam from profuse sweating) · ko 비누 거품 (foam of soap and water) · nl sop (foam of soap and water) · uk мильна піна (foam of soap and water) · ml പത (foam of soap and water) · es espuma jabonosa/saponácea (foam of soap and water) · sh сапу̀ница (foam of soap and water) · nl zeepsop (foam of soap and water) · ru пе́на (foam from profuse sweating) · izh muilanvaahto (foam of soap and water) · ca sabonera (foam of soap and water) · pdt Schum (foam of soap and water) · hu hab (foam from profuse sweating) · cs mydliny (foam of soap and water) · sv lödder (foam of soap and water) · da skum (foam of soap and water) · cs mýdlová pěna (foam of soap and water) · es espuma de jabón (foam of soap and water) · hu tajték (foam from profuse sweating) · sh sapùnica (foam of soap and water) · te నురగ (foam of soap and water) · fi saippuavaahto (foam of soap and water) · eo sapŝaŭmo (foam of soap and water) · mk сапуница (foam of soap and water) · fi vaahtoaminen (state of agitation) · ja 泡沫 (foam of soap and water) · de Seifenschaum (foam of soap and water) · nl paardenschuim (foam from profuse sweating) · de Schaum (foam of soap and water) · fi vaahto (foam of soap and water) · de Schaum (foam from profuse sweating) · nl schuim (foam of soap and water) · it schiuma di sapone (foam of soap and water) · gl espuma (foam of soap and water) · fa کف (foam of soap and water)