lathi

or la·thee

[ lah-tee ]

/ ˈlɑ ti /

noun Indian English.

a heavy pole or stick, especially one used as a club by police.

Nearby words

Origin of lathi

First recorded in 1840–50, lathi is from the Hindi word lāthī

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lathi

Have we got even a lathi with which we can defend our hearths and homes?
India for Indians|C. R. (Chittaranjan) Das
He picked up his lathi—a five-foot male-bamboo ringed with bands of polished iron—and flourished it in the air.
Kim|Rudyard Kipling
He carried a lathi, and in dress and appearance looked like a ryot.
Barclay of the Guides|Herbert Strang
It shall also be illegal for any male person to carry or be found in possession of an instrument known as a lathi.
The Political Future of India|Lajpat Rai

Stealing along the battlements, he sought for some fissure in which he might plant his lathi.
Barclay of the Guides|Herbert Strang

British Dictionary definitions for lathi

lathi

/ (ˈlɑːtɪ) /

noun

a long heavy wooden stick used as a weapon in India, esp by the police

Word Origin for lathi

Hindi

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