Lathe (?), n. [AS.l&aemac;&edh;. Of. uncertain origin.]
Formerly, a part or division of a county among the Anglo-Saxons. At present it consists of four or five hundreds, and is confined to the county of Kent.
[Written also
lath.]
Brande & C.
© Webster 1913.
Lathe (?), n. [OE. lathe a granary; akin to G. lade a chest, Icel. hla&edh;a a storehouse, barn; but cf. also Icel. lo&edh; a smith's lathe. Senses 2 and 3 are perh. of the same origin as lathe a granary, the original meaning being, a frame to hold something. If so, the word is from an older form of E. lade to load. See Lade to load.]
1.
A granary; a barn.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
2. Mach.
A machine for turning, that is, for shaping articles of wood, metal, or other material, by causing them to revolve while acted upon by a cutting tool.
<-- "turning" here is in the sense of cutting while turning.
turn 6 and turning 4, in this dict. -->
3.
The movable swing frame of a loom, carrying the reed for separating the warp threads and beating up the weft; -- called also lay and batten.
Blanchard lathe, a lathe for turning irregular forms after a given pattern, as lasts, gunstocks, and the like. -- Drill lathe, ∨ Speed lathe, a small lathe which, from its high speed, is adapted for drilling; a hand lathe. -- Engine lathe, a turning lathe in which the cutting tool has an automatic feed; -- used chiefly for turning and boring metals, cutting screws, etc. -- Foot lathe, a lathe which is driven by a treadle worked by the foot. -- Geometric lathe. See under Geometric -- Hand lathe, a lathe operated by hand; a power turning lathe without an automatic feed for the tool. -- Slide lathe, an engine lathe. -- Throw lathe, a small lathe worked by one hand, while the cutting tool is held in the other.
© Webster 1913.