Lathe

Part of speech: noun (n.)

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.

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. A granary; a barn. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. 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.

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, or 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.