Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Brass or an alloy resembling brass, hammered thin and formerly used in the manufacture of church vessels.
- n. A thin sheet of metal, especially of tin.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A mixed metal, made of copper and zinc and not practically distinguishable from brass. Such ametal was used throughout the middle ages and later, commonly in thin sheets, for the manufacture of various utensils, and for the brasses of sepulchral monuments. The term appears to be now restricted to kinds of brass that are worked into articles for ecclesiastical use.
- n. Same as latten-brass.
- n. A sheet-iron plate prepared for tinning, and ranging in thickness from. 020 to. 016 of an inch.
Wiktionary
- n. An alloy of copper and tin, similar to bronze, with a sufficient portion of tin to make it a pewter-like color with yellowish tinge (rather than the brownish-gold color of bronze of higher copper content), once used in thin sheets and for domestic utensils and light-duty tools.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A kind of brass hammered into thin sheets, formerly much used for making church utensils, as candlesticks, crosses, etc.; -- called also
latten brass . - n. Sheet tin; iron plate, covered with tin; also, any metal in thin sheets.
WordNet 3.0
- n. brass (or a yellow alloy resembling brass) that was hammered into thin sheets; formerly used for church utensils
Etymologies
- From Old French laton, of uncertain origin. (Wiktionary)
- Middle English laton, from Old French, from Arabic lātūn, probably from Old Turkic altun, gold; akin to Mongolian altan. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“A pix of a much plainer description, but without its cover, of the metal called latten, was until recently preserved in the church of Enstone, Oxfordshire: the body of this was of a semi-globular form, supported on an angular stem, with a knob in the midst, and in appearance not unlike a chalice.”
The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture, Elucidated by Question and Answer, 4th ed.
“_Latin_ was a play upon the word "latten," which was the name of a metal resembling brass.”
“latten"; and the same name was applied in Shakespeare's time to thin iron plate coated with tin, of which domestic utensils and implements were made.”
“There is nothing to remind us of the Bedlam of Hogarth, with its poor drivelling maniacs, with latten swords, rushen crowns, and paper tiaras, comments the journalist.”
“Said Birdalone and reddened therewith: We have at home a broad latten dish, which it is my work, amongst other things, to brighten and keep bright; yet may I not make it so bright that I may see much of mine image therein; and yet.”
“Herodotus writeth that thethiopians named Macrobij, do more estieme latten then thei do golde whiche thei put to nothyng that thei compt of any price.”
“But of all these twelve kings King Arthur let make the tomb of King Lot passing richly, and made his tomb by his own; and then Arthur let make twelve images of latten and copper, and over-gilt it with gold, in the sign of twelve kings, and each one of them held a taper of wax that burnt day and night; and King”
“- Clean files regularly with file brush and latten brass!”
“The majority were made of either pewter or latten metal (a brasslike alloy), although 3 in the collection were made of silver.”
New Discoveries at Jamestown Site of the First Successful English Settlement in America
“The recumbent effigies of Henry III. and Queen Eleanor are made of latten, and the tomb of the Black Prince in Canterbury is the same, beautifully chased.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘latten’.
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phrontistery - l
from phrontistery.info
labarum, labefactation, labeorphily, labile, lability, labret, lac, laches, lacis, laic, lam?, lar and 496 more...
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Just 'cause I like 'em, L
lisle, lahar, loupe, labret, latten, luster, lagomorph, lamentation, limicole, lunge, lobtail, latifolious and 182 more...
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catching words
wicker(whichwill)work
collate, percolate, key, quay, hedge, haggard, haw, hawthorn, hawfinch, colander, couloir, coulee and 54 more...
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perhapsolutely's Words
polyradiculoneuro..., abulia, abubble, abscission, abaft, zareba, abatis, abigail, abiogenesis, ablate, ablaut, abo and 1705 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for latten.
fbharjo tinned iron Mar 26, 2009
reesetee :-D Jun 1, 2008
bilby Ah, this is why mass is traditionally said in Latin. May 30, 2008