lathe
lathe
Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
The IPA phonetic spelling for "lathe" is /leɪð/.
Syllable Breakdown (1 syllable):
/l/: The 'l' sound as in lip.
/eɪ/: The 'long a' vowel sound as in ape or day.
/ð/: The 'voiced th' sound as in this or the.
Word Form Variations
Noun (singular): lathe
Noun (plural): lathes
Verb (base form): lathe
Verb (third-person singular): lathes
Verb (past tense): lathed
Verb (present participle): lathing
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A machine tool that rotates a workpiece (such as wood, metal, or plastic) on its axis, allowing it to be cut, sanded, drilled, or shaped by a stationary cutting tool.
Synonyms: turning machine, turning center
Verb
(transitive) To cut, shape, or process a piece of material by rotating it on a lathe.
Synonyms: turn, machine, shape, cut
Examples of Use
📚 In Books and Literature
In Technical Books: "The T25617 Mini-Lathe for Home Machinists presents a complete course on using and improving the new generation of budget lathes."
In Fiction: "He retreated to his workshop, the only place he felt at peace, and switched on the lathe, watching the block of maple begin to spin."
In Science Fiction (as a title): The novel The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin uses the word metaphorically, where a character's dreams can retroactively alter reality, much like a lathe reshapes material.
📰 In Newspapers and Online Publications
In Manufacturing News: "The new manufacturing plant will be outfitted with 20 advanced CNC lathes to increase production of precision automotive parts." (ResearchGate)
In Hobbyist Magazines: "Woodturning on a lathe using Marwood's woodturning blanks can produce all sorts of end products including: candlestick holders, baseball bats, table legs... and bowls." (Marwood MFG)
In Historical Articles: "A stamp on a South Bend 9A lathe, manufactured in 1942, states: 'This machine conforms to orders of the War Production Board.'" (U.S. Department of Defense)
In How-To Guides: "For those thinking about getting into woodworking, the lathe is a great place to start... the lathe spins the work piece while the tool stays stationary." (Make Magazine)
🎬 In Entertainment and Media
On YouTube (DIY/Maker Channels): "Today on the channel, I'm going to show you how to turn this old piece of firewood into a beautiful bowl using my wood lathe."
In Film: In the 1980 film The Lathe of Heaven (based on the novel), a scientist uses a machine to harness a patient's reality-bending dreams.
In Music (Industry Lingo): In vinyl record production, a special "cutting lathe" is used to etch the master disc (or lacquer) from which all subsequent records are pressed.
🗣️ In General Public Discourse
In Vocational Education: "Students in the advanced shop class will learn to safely operate the drill press, the band saw, and the metal lathe."
Among Hobbyists: "I just bought my first mini-lathe this weekend. I can't wait to try turning some pens."
In Engineering/Machining: "We'll have to lathe down this steel rod by 2mm to get it to fit the bearing." (Using the verb form "to lathe").
10 Famous Quotes Using Lathe
"A great lathe operator commands several times the wage of an average lathe operator, but a great writer of software code is worth 10,000 times the price of an average software writer." (Bill Gates)
"Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven." (Chuang Tse, trans. James Legge)
"From the wood lathe to the pottery wheel to the simple drill, I borrow a lot of equipment and ideas from the world of clay, from woodworking, and sometimes from masonry." (Amaury Guichon)
"[The screw machine] was on the principle of the gauge or sliding lathe now in every workshop throughout the world..." (David Wilkinson)
"This lathe kills fascists." (An adaptation of a Woody Guthrie slogan, often applied to machinery)
To the machinist, the lathe is more than a tool; it is a partner in precision. (Original)
A hobbyist first finds joy not in the finished bowl, but in the steady, hypnotic hum of the lathe itself. (Original)
The historian argued that the invention of the industrial lathe was a critical turning point in modern warfare. (Original)
"Our entire automated assembly line is balanced on the output of a single, aging CNC lathe." (Original)
He stared at the spinning lathe, seeing in it a metaphor for his own life—always turning, always shaping, but never moving from its fixed position. (Original)
Etymology
The Original Meaning
The word "lathe" comes to us from the Vikings. Its root is an Old Norse word, likely lað (pronounced "lath"), which meant "a pole," "a branch," or "a thin, flat strip of wood."
This is the exact same root as the word "lath," which describes the thin strips of wood used to make "lath and plaster" walls.
The Connection: The "Pole Lathe"
So, why is a heavy spinning machine named after a thin strip of wood?
The connection comes from the very first type of lathe, which was called a "pole lathe." This ancient machine, used for centuries, didn't have a motor. Instead, it was powered by a simple, springy tree sapling or branch (a pole).
Here’s how it worked:
A rope was wrapped around the piece of wood to be shaped.
One end of the rope was attached to a foot pedal.
The other end was attached to the overhead, springy pole.
When the woodworker pressed the pedal, it pulled the rope and spun the wood. When they lifted their foot, the pole would spring back, pulling the rope and spinning the wood the other way.
First Known Use
The machine was named after its most essential part: that springy pole (the lað).
The word "lathe" specifically referring to this turning machine first appeared in the English language in the 1400s. As technology improved and lathes started using flywheels and motors instead of poles, the name "lathe" simply stuck.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Lathe
Since "lathe" is a specific technical term, most of its common phrases are literal or technical.
CNC lathe: A computer-controlled lathe.
Wood lathe / Metal lathe: Specifies the material the machine is designed for.
On the lathe: The state of a workpiece being actively shaped. ("The bowl is still on the lathe.")
Lathe operator: The job title for someone who uses a lathe.
Turned on a lathe: The process of creating an object with the machine.
The Lathe of Heaven: The title of a famous science fiction novel, used metaphorically to mean a force that shapes reality.
On the lathe of public opinion: (Original) To be shaped or scrutinized by public perception.
The lathe of experience: (Original) A metaphor for how life's events shape a person's character.
Idioms with Similar Connotations
Here are common idioms that evoke the effects of a lathe, such as shaping, spinning, or precision.
Evoking "Shaping" or "Molding":
Hammer something into shape: To force something to be correct or suitable.
Put through the wringer: To subject someone to a difficult, transformative experience.
Shape up or ship out: A command to improve one's performance or leave.
Cut from the same cloth: Describing two things as being very similar, as if made from the same starting material.
Evoking "Spinning" or "Turning":
Spinning your wheels: To use a lot of effort with no result.
To be in a spin: To be confused, dizzy, or panicked.
A new turn of events: An unexpected change in a situation.
Evoking "Precision":
To a T: Exactly right or perfectly.
Like clockwork: Happening with perfect regularity and precision.
Cut it fine: To do something just barely in time or with no margin for error.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of lathe from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
