Part 599

Latch"string` (?), n. A string for raising the latch of a door by a person outside. It is fastened to the latch and passed through a hole above it in the door.

To find the latchstring out, to meet with hospitality; to be welcome. (Intrusion is prevented by drawing in the latchstring.) [Colloq. U.S.]

Late (lt), a. [Compar. Later (lt"r), or latter (lt"tr); superl. Latest (lt"st) or Last (lst).] [OE. lat slow, slack, AS. læt; akin to OS. lat, D. laat late, G. lass weary, lazy, slack, Icel. latr, Sw. lat, Dan. lad, Goth. lats, and to E. let, v. See Let to permit, and cf. Alas, Lassitude.] 1. Coming after the time when due, or after the usual or proper time; not early; slow; tardy; long delayed; as, a late spring.

2. Far advanced toward the end or close; as, a late hour of the day; a late period of life.

3. Existing or holding some position not long ago, but not now; lately deceased, departed, or gone out of office; as, the late bishop of London; the late administration.

4. Not long past; happening not long ago; recent; as, the late rains; we have received late intelligence.

5. Continuing or doing until an advanced hour of the night; as, late revels; a late watcher.

Late, adv. [AS. late. See Late, a.] 1. After the usual or proper time, or the time appointed; after delay; as, he arrived late; -- opposed to early.

2. Not long ago; lately.

3. Far in the night, day, week, or other particular period; as, to lie abed late; to sit up late at night.

Of late, in time not long past, or near the present; lately; as, the practice is of late uncommon. -- Too late, after the proper or available time; when the time or opportunity is past.

Lat"ed (?), a. Belated; too late. [Obs.] Shak.

La*teen" (?), a. (Naut.) Of or pertaining to a peculiar rig used in the Mediterranean and adjacent waters, esp. on the northern coast of Africa. See below.

Lateen sail. [F. voile latine a sail in the shape of a right-angled triangle; cf. It. & Sp. vela latina; properly Latin sail. See Latin.] (Naut.) A triangular sail, extended by a long yard, which is slung at about one fourth of its length from the lower end, to a low mast, this end being brought down at the tack, while the other end is elevated at an angle or about forty-five degrees; -- used in small boats, feluccas, xebecs, etc., especially in the Mediterranean and adjacent waters. Some lateen sails have also a boom on the lower side.

Late"ly (?), adv. Not long ago; recently; as, he has lately arrived from Italy.

La"tence (?), n. Latency. Coleridge.

La"ten*cy (?), n. [See Latent.] The state or quality of being latent.

To simplify the discussion, I shall distinguish three degrees of this latency.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Late"ness (?), n. The state, condition, or quality, of being late; as, the lateness of his arrival; the lateness of the hour; the lateness of the season.

La"tent (l"tent), a. [L. latens, -entis, p. pr. of latere to lie hid or concealed; cf. Gr. lanqa`nein, E. lethargy: cf. F. latent.] Not visible or apparent; hidden; concealed; secret; dormant; as, latent springs of action.

The evils latent in the most promising contrivances are provided for as they arise.

Burke.

Latent buds (Bot.), buds which remain undeveloped or dormant for a long time, but may at length grow. Latent heat (Physics), that quantity of heat which disappears or becomes concealed in a body while producing some change in it other than rise of temperature, as fusion, evaporation, or expansion, the quantity being constant for each particular body and for each species of change. -- Latent period. (a) (Med.) The regular time in which a disease is supposed to be existing without manifesting itself. (b) (Physiol.) One of the phases in a simple muscular contraction, in which invisible preparatory changes are taking place in the nerve and muscle. (c) (Biol.) One of those periods or resting stages in the development of the ovum, in which development is arrested prior to renewed activity.

La"tent*ly, adv. In a secret or concealed manner; invisibly.

||La"ter (?), n.; pl. Lateres (#). [L.] A brick or tile. Knight. || Lat"er (?), a. Compar. of Late, a. & adv.

Lat"er*ad (?), adv. [L. latus, lateris, side + ad to.] (Anat.) Toward the side; away from the mesial plane; -- opposed to mesiad.

Lat"er*al (?), a. [L. lateralis, fr. latus, lateris, side: cf. F. latéral.] 1. Of or pertaining to the sides; as, the lateral walls of a house; the lateral branches of a tree.