Skip to main content
to lathe

to lathe

7.8
To shape wood or metal by turning it while a tool cuts it
  • verb
  • /leɪð/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tornear
  • She lathes bowls from blocks of wood in her workshop.

Examples

  • The artisan lathed a set of wooden candlesticks for the market.

  • Each metal rod was carefully lathed to achieve a precise diameter.

  • He will lathe the wood into a perfect cylinder.

  • The carpenter lathes the pieces carefully.

  • The carpenter will lathe the wood to create a smooth finish for the table legs.

  • Using a lathe, he can lathe intricate designs into the wooden blocks.

  • Before assembling the furniture, she needs to lathe the edges of the piece for a better fit.

Synonyms

to turn
vsto lathe
  • Specialized
118 7.5

Shape an object on a spinning wheel by cutting or smoothing

is specific to using a machine that rotates material rather than a wheel

Compounds

bench lathe
  • Specialized
8.0

A small machine fixed to a workbench that turns metal or wood for careful shaping

metal spinning lathe
  • Specialized
8.3

A machine that turns a metal piece fast while a tool shapes it

wheel lathe
  • Specialized
9.9

A machine that turns and shapes train wheels to make them smooth

Surface Forms

lathe infinitive
lathed past
lathed past participle
lathing present participle
lathes third person singular

Etymology

Lathe as a verb comes from the machine's name and simply means to use a lathe to 'turn' and shape material. So to lathe something is to 'shape it by turning' on the machine.