lathe
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
lathesimple
-
lathessimple
-
have lathedperfect
-
has lathedperfect
-
am lathingprogressive
-
are lathingprogressive
-
is lathingprogressive
-
have been lathingperfect progressive
-
has been lathingperfect progressive
Past
-
lathedsimple
-
had lathedperfect
-
was lathingprogressive
-
were lathingprogressive
-
had been lathingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lathe
1300–50; Middle English: frame, stand, lathe; compare Old Norse hlath stack ( see lade), Danish -lad in væverlad weaver's batten, savelad saw bench
Explanation
A lathe is a tool that shapes a rotating piece of wood or metal. If you want to build a beautiful dining room table, you'll need a lathe to make the legs. Using a lathe, you can cut, drill, or sand wood while it turns—making the piece more symmetrical than it would be without the tool. A potter's wheel, which turns clay as you shape it with your hands, is actually a type of lathe. Many common objects are made using lathes, including baseball bats, some musical instruments, and candlesticks. A person who uses a lathe is officially called a turner.
Vocabulary lists containing lathe
Mechanical Engineering
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Visual Arts - High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Visual Arts - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
A farmer who owned a Model T didn’t need a forge or metal lathe to fix his engine; he could simply order a replacement part—or cannibalize one from a wrecked car in a junkyard.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
To do the work, the team used a large lathe to spin a detached brake rotor and caliper.
From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2024
Or looked down at the raw concrete underfoot, or around at unadorned columns and brick walls that never were meant to be seen, sheathed originally with lathe and plaster and decorative molding?
From Seattle Times • Sep. 8, 2023
The Light Gas Gun at the University of Kent is an unwieldy device which, to me, looks more like a lathe than a gun.
From BBC • May 18, 2023
I turned the lathe on and it whirred up to speed.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
