lath
Americannoun
plural
laths-
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.
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a group or quantity of such strips.
-
work consisting of such strips.
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wire mesh or the like used in place of wooden laths as a backing for plasterwork.
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a thin, narrow, flat piece of wood used for any purpose.
verb (used with object)
noun
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one of several thin narrow strips of wood used to provide a supporting framework for plaster, tiles, etc
-
expanded sheet metal, wire mesh, etc, used to provide backing for plaster or rendering
-
any thin strip of wood
verb
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.
Santo Loquasto’s spare setting, eerily lighted by Jennifer Tipton, includes folding chairs and a background of weathered lath overrun with scripture-like words; his costumes are neutral-toned casual clothes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 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
The heavy plaster, mixed with Portland cement, more than three inches thick and applied to a lath of chicken wire, required an ax to break through.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2023
Lee points out a nest of bees that thrum inside the wall near the broad main staircase, the hive built amid the exposed lath.
From Washington Post • Aug. 10, 2021
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.
