Latch, lach, v.t. (Shak.) to moisten. [Leach.]
Latch, lach, n. a small piece of wood or iron to fasten a door.—v.t. to fasten with a latch: to hold, retain: (obs.) to seize.—ns. Latch′et, a strap or buckle for fastening a shoe; Latch′key, a key to raise the latch of a door.—On the latch, not locked, but opened by a latch. [A.S. læccan, to catch.]
Late, lāt, adj. (comp. Lat′er; superl. Lat′est) slow, tardy; behindhand: coming after the expected time: long delayed: far advanced towards the close: last in any place or character: deceased: departed: out of office: not long past—also adv.—adj. Lat′ed (Shak.), belated, being too late.—adv. Late′ly.—n. Late′ness, state of being late.—adv. Lat′er.—adj. Lat′ish, somewhat late. [A.S. læt, slow; Dut. laat, Ice. latr, Ger. lass, weary; L. lassus, tired.]
Latebra, lat′eb-ra, n. the cavity in the food-yolk of a meroblastic ovum.—adj. Lat′ebrous. [L.—latēre.]
Lateen, la-tēn′, adj. applied to a triangular sail, common in the Mediterranean, the Lake of Geneva, &c. [Fr.,—L. Latinus, Latin.]
Latent, lā′tent, adj. hid: concealed: not visible or apparent: dormant, undeveloped.—ns. Lā′tence, Lā′tency.—adv. Lā′tently.—Latent heat (see Heat); Latent life, a phrase describing the physiological condition of organisms in which the functions are for a time suspended without losing the power of future activity; Latent period of a disease, the time that elapses before symptoms show the presence of the disease. [L. latens, pr.p. of latēre, to lie hid; Gr. lanthanein, to be hidden.]
Lateral, lat′ėr-al, adj. belonging to the side: proceeding from or in the direction of the side: (anat. and zool.) situated on one of the sides of the median vertical longitudinal plane of the body: (physics) at right angles to a line of motion or strain.—n. Lateral′ity.—adv. Lat′erally.—adj. Laterifō′lious (bot.), growing by the side of a leaf at its base.—Lateral fin, one of the paired side fins of a fish:—opp. to Vertical fin. [L. lateralis—latus, latĕris, a side.]
Lateran, lat′ėr-an, adj. pertaining to the Church of St John Lateran at Rome, the Pope's cathedral church, on the site of the splendid palace or basilica of Plautius Lateranus (executed 66 A.D.).—Lateran Councils, five general councils of the Western Church, held in the Lateran basilica (1123, 1139, 1179, 1215, and 1512-17), regarded by Roman Catholics as œcumenical: also an important synod against the Monothelites in 649.
Latericeous, lat-ėr-ish′us, adj. of brick, or brick-coloured.—Also Laterit′ious. [L. latericius—later, lateris, a brick.]
Laterite, lat′ėr-īt, n. an argillaceous sandstone of a reddish or brick colour found in India, esp. in Ceylon. [L. later, lateris, a brick.]