Word Study
lather
CIDE DICTIONARY
lather, n. [AS. leá niter, in leá soapwort; cf. Icel. lau; perh. akin to E. lye.].
- Foam or froth made by soap moistened with water. [1913 Webster]
- Foam from profuse sweating, as of a horse. [1913 Webster]
lather, v. t. [AS. l to lather, anoint. See Lather, n. ].
To spread over with lather; as, to lather the face. [1913 Webster]
lather, v. i.
To form lather, or a froth like lather; to accumulate foam from profuse sweating, as a horse. [1913 Webster]
lather, v. t. [Cf. Leather.].
To beat severely with a thong, strap, or the like; to flog. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
lather, n. & v.
--n.
1 a froth produced by agitating soap etc. and water.
2 frothy sweat, esp. of a horse.
3 a state of agitation.
--v.
1 intr. (of soap etc.) form a lather.
2 tr. cover with lather.
3 intr. (of a horse etc.) develop or become covered with lather.
4 tr. colloq. thrash.
--n.
1 a froth produced by agitating soap etc. and water.
2 frothy sweat, esp. of a horse.
3 a state of agitation.
--v.
1 intr. (of soap etc.) form a lather.
2 tr. cover with lather.
3 intr. (of a horse etc.) develop or become covered with lather.
4 tr. colloq. thrash.
Derivative
lathery adj.
Etymology
OE leathor (n.), lethran (v.)
THESAURUS
lather
BO, aerate, anxiety, baptize, bath, bathe, beaded brow, beads of sweat, beat, beat all hollow, beat hollow, belabor, best, body odor, bother, breakers, breathless impatience, buffet, bustle, chafing, clamor, cold sweat, collar, cream, defeat, destroy, diaphoresis, disquietude, dither, do in, douche, dress down, drub, eagerness, excitement, exudate, exudation, fix, flagellate, flail, flap, flax, flog, flush, flush out, fluster, flusteration, flustration, flutter, foam, foofaraw, fret, fretfulness, fretting, froth, fuss, gargle, give a dressing-down, hassle, haste, head, hide, holystone, honest sweat, hors de combat, hubbub, impatience, impatientness, impetuousness, irrigate, lambaste, larrup, lash, launder, lave, leather, lick, mantle, maul, meringue, mop, mop up, mousse, offscum, outclass, outdo, outfight, outgeneral, outmaneuver, outpoint, outrun, outsail, outshine, paddle, perspiration, perspiration odor, pother, pucker, puff, pummel, put, restiveness, restlessness, rinse, rinse out, ritually immerse, ruin, scour, scrub, scrub up, scud, scum, sea foam, settle, shampoo, shower, skin, skin alive, sluice, sluice out, soap, soapsuds, souffle, spindrift, sponge, spoondrift, spray, spume, state, stew, stinging, streams of sweat, sud, sudor, sudoresis, suds, surf, swab, sweat, swelter, swivet, syringe, tan, tense readiness, thrash, tizzy, toivel, trim, triumph over, trounce, tub, turmoil, twitter, twitteration, undo, uneasiness, unpatientness, unquietness, wallop, wash, wash out, wash up, water, welt, whack, whale, whip, whisk, white water, worst, yeastROGET THESAURUS
lather
Lubrication
N lubrication, smoothness, unctuousness, lubrication, lubrification, anointment, oiling, synovia, glycerine, oil, lubricating oil, grease, saliva, lather, teflon, lubricated, lubricous.VB lubricate, lubricitate, oil, grease, lather, soap, wax.
Bubble
N bubble; cloud, bubble, foam, froth, head, spume, lather, suds, spray, surf, yeast, barm, spindrift, cloud, vapor, fog, mist, haze, steam, geyser, scud, messenger, rack, nimbus, cumulus, woolpack, cirrus, stratus, cirrostratus, cumulostratus, cirrocumulus, mackerel sky, mare's tale, dirty sky, curl cloud, frost smoke, thunderhead, nephelognosy, nephograph, nephology, effervescence, fermentation, bubbling, nebula, cloudliness, nebulosity, bubbling, frothy, nappy, effervescent, sparkling, mousseux, frothy, up, cloudy, thunderheaded, vaporous, nebulous, overcast, the lowring element scowls o'er the darkened lands.For further exploring for "lather" in Webster Dictionary Online
