lather

Meanings

Noun

• The foam made by rapidly stirring soap and water.
• Foam from profuse sweating, as of a horse.
• A state of agitation.

Verb

• To cover with lather.
• To beat or whip.
• To form lather or froth, as a horse does when profusely sweating.

Origin

• From Middle English lather, from Old English lēaþor, from Proto-Germanic *lauþrą, from Proto-Indo-European *lówh₃trom, from *lewh₃-, *lowh₃-. Cognate with Swedish lödder, Icelandic löður, Old Irish lóathar, Ancient Greek λουτρόν, Latin lavō, Albanian laj, Ancient Greek λούω. More at lye.
• From Middle English *lethren, from Old English lēþrian, lȳþrian, *līeþrian, from Old English lēaþor ("a kind of niter used for soap, soda"). See above.