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Synonyms

lath

American  
[lath, lahth] / læθ, lɑθ /

noun

plural

laths

  1. a thin, narrow strip of wood, used with other strips to form latticework, a backing for plaster or stucco, a support for slates and other roofing materials, etc.

  2. a group or quantity of such strips.

  3. work consisting of such strips.

  4. wire mesh or the like used in place of wooden laths as a backing for plasterwork.

  5. a thin, narrow, flat piece of wood used for any purpose.

verb (used with object)

  1. to cover or line with laths.

lath British  
/ lɑːθ /

noun

  1. one of several thin narrow strips of wood used to provide a supporting framework for plaster, tiles, etc

  2. expanded sheet metal, wire mesh, etc, used to provide backing for plaster or rendering

  3. any thin strip of wood

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to attach laths to (a ceiling, roof, floor, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of lath

before 1000; Middle English la ( th ) the; replacing Middle English latt, Old English lætt; cognate with German Latte, Dutch lat

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And then there were moments of “11,000 Strings” that sounded like the musical aviaries of Olivier Messiaen emanating from a far away lath house.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025

The DfE previously said it was liaising with the county council for updates and there was "no evidence of there being systematic issues with lath and plaster".

From BBC • Oct. 18, 2024

An acre-sized lath house provided shade for tender seedlings, and an innovative rainwater collection system provided water for irrigation six months of the year.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2024

Readings on lath and plaster can be misleading, though, so if that’s what you have, look for nails in baseboards, which should point to studs, or for electrical outlets, which usually have a stud alongside.

From Washington Post • May 2, 2022

The dining table was a smooth piece of lath supported on both ends by stones.

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.