1 lather | Definition of lather

lather

noun
lath·​er | \ ˈla-tÍŸhÉ™r How to pronounce lather (audio) \

Definition of lather

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a foam or froth formed when a detergent (such as soap) is agitated in water
b : foam or froth from profuse sweating (as on a horse)
2 : an agitated or overwrought state : dither worked himself into a lather

lather

verb
lathered; lathering\ ˈla-​tÍŸh(É™-​)riÅ‹ How to pronounce lathering (audio) \

Definition of lather (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to spread lather over
2 : to beat severely : flog

intransitive verb

: to form a lather or a froth like lather

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Other Words from lather

Noun

lathery \ ˈla-​tÍŸh(É™-​)rÄ“ How to pronounce lathery (audio) \ adjective

Verb

latherer \ ˈla-​tÍŸhÉ™r-​É™r How to pronounce latherer (audio) \ noun

Examples of lather in a Sentence

Noun

The soap and water formed a lot of lather. The soap and water formed a lather.

Verb

He lathered his face before shaving. the flinty rancher did not hesitate to lather a recalcitrant horse
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Tap a couple drops on dry patches for a spot treatment that soaks right in, or lather your face with a decedent layer before bed and wake up glowing. Chloe Metzger And Taylore Glynn, Marie Claire, "The Best Face Oil for Every Single Skin Type," 29 Aug. 2019 By the time the Senate sent back a bipartisan compromise (which passed the upper chamber 84-8), the prima donnas had whipped dozens of progressive representatives into a lather. Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, "Pelosi’s Prima Donnas," 11 July 2019 Because shampoo doesn’t lather up very well in hard water, shampooing leaves your hair feeling and looking limp and dry. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How a Water Softener Works (And Why You Might Want One)," 4 July 2019 Like a bar of soap, swipe it around your face to lather up. Devon Abelman, Allure, "23 Brand-New Beauty Products Under $20 That We're Already Obsessed With," 9 Jan. 2018 Just run it under each eye, across the forehead, and down the nose, then splash on some water to build up a pore-cleansing, de-greasing lather. Adam Hurly, GQ, "The Best Red-Eye Dopp Kit Will Upgrade Your Face to First Class," 19 Feb. 2018 These two textures work together cohesively, creating a silky lather of micelles and oil, which melt away the most stubborn makeup, without feeling too harsh on the skin. Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "Glossier's New $12 Milky Oil Will Change the Way You Take off Your Makeup," 19 Feb. 2019 The event began cordially, but after an hour the crowd was in a partisan lather, by turns hissing and clapping. Ben Kesling, WSJ, "Democrats Recruit Veterans as Candidates in Bid to Retake the House," 24 Oct. 2018 Much like cleansing oils for the face, these come in cream, gel, and oil-in-gel textures that lather without stripping moisture away from skin. Shannon Barbour, The Cut, "These New Cruelty-Free Bodywashes Smell Like a Vacation," 8 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Make your wash-day routine count by lathering up with medicated shampoos formulated with antibacterial ingredients, such as sulfur and salicylic acid. Janell Hickman, Allure, "Everything You Need to Know About Scalp Acne," 28 Aug. 2019 From lathering your hair in it for a great deep condition to adding it to all your delish recipes, coconut oil can be used for pretty much everything. Yerin Kim, Seventeen, "Should You Use Coconut Oil for Your Acne?," 3 June 2019 Once the raccoon was lathered up with soap and water, firefighters tried to slide it free with a bit of gentle tugging. al, "Raccoon freed from sewer grate after ‘quite the operation’," 2 Aug. 2019 Photos show the raccoon lathered with suds, its fur plastered to his face. NBC News, "A raccoon got stuck in a storm grate. Ten firefighters in Newton, Massachusetts, worked to get it out.," 2 Aug. 2019 In a statement that will be added to the fest’s official website, Pitchfork encourages attendees to lather on the sunscreen, remember to hydrate before, during and after the festival and bring a reusable water bottle. Jessi Roti, chicagotribune.com, "How to prep for Pitchfork Music Festival during an excessive heat advisory," 17 July 2019 The excellent brigand’s hat pasta, strewn with meaty honeycombs of wild morel mushrooms and withered ramps in springtime, turns into a more keenly aromatic dish by June: now it’s chanterelle mushrooms lathered in basil-intensive butter. Patricia Escárcega, latimes.com, "Spago at middle age: Is Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant still relevant?," 27 June 2019 The arrival of the Queen’s landau at precisely two o’clock lathered the crowd to a fever pitch, with many attendees focused on Her Majesty’s hat, the color of which had been, as usual, available for wagering. Steven Stolman, Town & Country, "Guests at Royal Ascot Could Bet on the Color of Queen Elizabeth's Hat," 18 June 2019 There are very tender potato gnocchi, super-saturated in a thin, bracingly fresh basil pesto; a bowl of spaghettini in a brilliant lemon-butter sauce; and tagliatelle, smooth and wide as a belt, lathered in a basic yet satisfying red-sauce sugo. Patricia Escárcega, latimes.com, "Review: At Bulgarini in Altadena, a gelato master tries his hand at pasta," 12 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lather.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.