The Collaborative International Dictionary
Lathe \Lathe\ (l[=a][th]), n. [OE. lathe a granary; akin to G. lade a chest, Icel. hla[eth]a a storehouse, barn; but cf. also Icel. l["o][eth] a smith's lathe. Senses 2 and 3 are perh. of the same origin as lathe a granary, the original meaning being, a frame to hold something. If so, the word is from an older form of E. lade to load. See Lade to load.]
A granary; a barn. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.(Mach.) A machine for turning, that is, for shaping articles of wood, metal, or other material, by causing them to revolve while acted upon by a cutting tool.
-
The movable swing frame of a loom, carrying the reed for separating the warp threads and beating up the weft; -- called also lay and batten.
Blanchard lathe, a lathe for turning irregular forms after a given pattern, as lasts, gunstocks, and the like.
Drill lathe, or Speed lathe, a small lathe which, from its high speed, is adapted for drilling; a hand lathe.
Engine lathe, a turning lathe in which the cutting tool has an automatic feed; -- used chiefly for turning and boring metals, cutting screws, etc.
Foot lathe, a lathe which is driven by a treadle worked by the foot.
Geometric lathe. See under Geometric
Hand lathe, a lathe operated by hand; a power turning lathe without an automatic feed for the tool.
Slide lathe, an engine lathe.
Throw lathe, a small lathe worked by one hand, while the cutting tool is held in the other.
Wiktionary
n. A small lathe worked by one hand, while the cutting tool is held in the other.