latchkey
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latch·key /'lætʃki:/ n a key for opening a lock on an outside door of a house or flat
'latchkey ,child n a child whose parents are often not at home and who therefore often returns, especially from school, to an empty house. The word is used especially by people who think that women who have young children should not go out to work.
late¹ /leɪt/ adj 1 [(for)] arriving, happening etc after the usual, arranged, necessary, or expected time: The train was late. | We were late for the train. (=it left before we arrived) | I was late for the meeting. (=it (should have) started before I arrived) | She was a late developer. | Spring is late this year. | The doctors were too late to save him. (=his illness had developed too far) | [after n] The train was ten minutes late. ➔ compare EARLY¹ 2 happening or being towards the end of the day, life, a period etc: She returned in the late afternoon. | It's getting late; we must go home. | late September | the late eighteenth century | She's in her late forties, I think ➔ compare EARLY¹ 3 [A no comp.] euph, who has died recently: her late husband | the late president 4 [A no comp.] existing or operating in the recent past but not now; former: the late government/chairman 5 [A] happening a short time ago; recent: the late changes in the government 6 [A no comp.] just arrived; new; fresh: Some late news of the war has just come in. 7 better late than never an old saying ➔ see also LATELY, LATEST —ness n [U]
late² adv 1 after the usual, arranged, necessary, or expected time: They stayed up late to watch the election results on the television. | [after n] The bus arrived five minutes late. 2 towards the end of a period: late in the evening/at night | The bush was planted late in the season. 3 until or at a late time of the night: We went to bed late. | working late 4 [of] fml until recently; LATELY: Dr Smith, late of the Maudsley Hospital, has now taken up private practice. 5 of late recently; LATELY: He's been behaving very strangely of late. ➔ compare EARLY²
,late 'booking n [C;U] (especially in Britain) holiday arrangements made, or the practice of making such arrangements, a very short time before one goes. This is often very much cheaper than the same arrangement made a long time before: Late bookings! Leave tomorrow for only £50!
late·com·er /'leɪtˌkʌmər/ n someone who arrives late
late·ly /'leɪtli/ adv 1 in the recent past and up until now: I've not been feeling very well (just) lately. 2 fml until recently (but no longer): Professor Brown, lately of Edinburgh, is now head of department at Manchester.
'late-night adj [A] of or happening late at night: The late-night news
,late-night 'shopping also late shopping n [U] BrE shopping until 8 o'clock at night or later. In Britain, shops usually close at 5.30 or 6 o'clock, but they often stay open for late-night shopping on one evening a week and during very busy periods, e.g. just before Christmas: We're going into town for the late-night shopping. | We close at six, except for late shopping on Thursdays till eight.
la·tent /'leɪtənt/ adj usually fml present but not yet noticeable, active, or fully developed: a latent infection | latent aggression | These aggressive tendencies remained latent. —tency n [U]
,latent 'heat n [U] tech the additional heat necessary to change a solid (at its MELTING POINT) into a liquid, or a liquid (at its BOILING POINT) into a gas
lat·er /'leɪtər/ adv 1 at a later time; afterwards: At first he denied all guilt, but he later made a partial confession. | I'll tell/see you later. (=after some time has passed) 2 later on afterwards: It wasn't until later on that we realized she'd gone.
lat·e·ral¹ /'lætərəl/ adj fml of, at, from, or towards the side: lateral movement —ly adv
lateral² n tech something, such as a branch, which is at or comes from the side
,lateral 'thinking n [U] a CREATIVE way of thinking which tries to use imagination and humour to find new and clever answers to problems. It was invented by Edward de Bono.
,late 'shopping n LATE-NIGHT SHOPPING
lat·est¹ /'leɪtɪst/ adj [A] most recent: Her latest book is selling very well. ➔ see LAST¹ (USAGE)
latest² n [the] 1 [(in)] the most recent example, news, or fashion: This case is the latest in a series of British spy scandals. | Have you heard the latest about the war? | The salesman showed us the latest in computer software packages. 2 at the latest not later than the stated time: Please be here by 9 o'clock at the latest. ➔ opposite at the earliest (EARLIEST)
,Late ,Summer 'Holiday, the ➔ see AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY
la·tex /'leɪteks/ n [U] 1 a thick whitish liquid produced by certain plants, especially the rubber tree 2 a material produced from this: latex goods
lath /lɑ:θ/ n pl. laths /lɑ:ðz, lɑ:θs || læðz, læθs/ a long flat narrow piece of wood used in building to support PLASTER (=wall-covering material) or TILES or SLATES (=roof-covering materials)
lathe /leɪð/ n a machine for shaping that turns a piece of wood or metal round and round against a sharp tool
la·ther¹ /'lɑ:ðər || 'læ-/ n [S;U] 1 a) a white mass produced by shaking a mixture of soap and water: Brush the shaving cream until a lather forms. b) a mass like this which is the result of heavy sweating (SWEAT), especially by a horse 2 in a lather BrE hot and anxious, especially because of lack of time —y adj
lather² v 1 [I] (especially of soap) to produce a lather: This detergent lathers easily. 2 [T(UP)] to cover with lather: He stood in the shower lathering his back. 3 [T] infml rare to hit violently
Lat·i·mer, Bishop Hugh /'lætɪmər, hju:/ (1485–1555) an English BISHOP (=a Christian priest of high rank) who was one of the leaders of the REFORMATION in England (=the time when many Christians left the Catholic religion and started the Protestant religion). When MARY I, who was a Catholic, became queen of England, she ordered him to be officially killed by being burned.
Lat·in¹ /'lætɪn || 'lætɪn/ n 1 [U] the language of the ancient Romans 2 [C] someone who comes from Southern Europe
Latin² adj 1 written in Latin: a Latin text 2 connected with a nation that speaks a language such as Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese that developed from Latin
La·ti·na /lə'ti:nə/ n AmE a woman living in the US who comes from Latin America, or whose family comes from Latin America
,Latin A'merica n the countries of South America and Central America, where Spanish and Portuguese are spoken ➔ see also SOUTH AMERICA
,Latin A'merican adj connected with South or Central America
,Latin 'lover n a humorous name for the STEREOTYPE of a man from southern Europe, who is thought of as having strong sexual feelings, and being skilled at getting women to have sex. It is often thought in the UK that French, Italian, and Spanish men are better at sex than British men.
La·ti·no /lə'ti:nəʊ/ n AmE someone living in the US whose family came from a Central or South American country —Latino adj: Latino culture
'Latin ,Quarter, the a part of Paris on the LEFT BANK of the River Seine, which is traditionally an area where many students, writers, and artists live, but is now a popular place for tourists to visit
lat·i·tude /'lætɪtju:d || -tu:d/ n 1 [C;U] the distance north or south of the EQUATOR measured in degrees: The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south. ➔ compare LONGITUDE; see picture at GLOBE 2 [S] also latitudes pl. — an area at a particular latitude: At this latitude/these latitudes you often get strong winds. 3 [U] fml freedom to do, say etc what one likes: The new law allows firms a lot less latitude than before in fixing the price of their goods. —tudinal /ˌlætɪ'tju:dɪnəl || -'tu:-/ adj
la·trine /lə'tri:n/ n a TOILET especially an outdoor one in a camp, military area etc
lat·te /'læteɪ/ also café latte n a drink made from coffee and a lot of hot milk
lat·ter¹ /'lætər/ adj [A no comp.] fml 1 near to the end; later: In the latter years of his life he lived alone and never welcomed