lather
lather — noun
1. The layer of small white bubbles that appears when soap or detergent rubs agains
The layer of small white bubbles that appears when soap or detergent rubs against water and air during washing, shaving, or cleaning.
Ravi worked up a thick lather with the shaving brush and applied it to his chin.
collocation: work up a lather
The lavender soap bar produced almost no lather in the hard tap water.
verb pattern: produce + lather (intransitive result)
After rinsing her hair twice, Hana found traces of white lather in the shower drain.
A good shaving cream creates a rich, creamy lather that stays on the skin.
Leila squeezed the wet sponge and watched the soapy lather drip into the metal bucket.
文法句型
a lather
lather
用法筆記
Often used in the expression 'work up a lather,' which describes the action of rubbing soap against a brush, sponge, or hands to create foam. The uncountable form (lather) is more common than 'a lather.'
常見錯誤
2. The white foamy sweat that appears across a horse's coat when the animal has bee
The white foamy sweat that appears across a horse's coat when the animal has been ridden or exercised intensely.
The stable hand wiped the foamy lather from the mare's neck after her long gallop.
collocation: foamy lather
When the riders reached the barn, the pony's flanks were covered in white lather.
passive: be covered in lather
A thick layer of lather had formed on the stallion's shoulders after the afternoon jumping session.
Tomás ran a rubber curry comb over the lather on the gelding's back to cool him down.
The vet said a light layer of lather after exercise is normal for a fit horse.
- sweat foam
a descriptive non-idiomatic alternative; plainer but less natural in equestrian contexts
- froth
sometimes used for horse sweat foam but is more general and less precise
文法句型
lather
covered in lather
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively for horses, not for other animals or people. The lather appears white or greyish and is a sign of genuine exertion, not overheating.
常見錯誤
3. A state of nervous worry, anger, or excitement that makes you tense and unable t
A state of nervous worry, anger, or excitement that makes you tense and unable to think clearly, usually because of a problem or urgent situation.
Priya was in a lather all morning before her final exam results came out.
fixed phrase: in a lather
The project manager worked himself into a lather over the missing quarterly reports.
reflexive pattern: work + oneself + into a lather
No need to get in a lather — the train is only five minutes behind schedule.
Grandpa was in a proper lather when he could not find his reading glasses anywhere.
Yara got herself into a lather trying to finish the presentation before the midday deadline.
- dither
a weaker state of indecisive worry; less intense than 'in a lather'
- frenzy
more intense and uncontrolled; suggests panic rather than worry
- state of agitation
more formal register; not idiomatic
文法句型
in a lather
get into a lather
work oneself into a lather
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'in a lather' or 'get into a lather' / 'work oneself into a lather.' Uncommon outside these expressions. The underlying metaphor compares emotional agitation to the foaming sweat of a horse (sense 2).
常見錯誤
lather — verb
1. To rub soap or shaving cream over a surface until it turns into foam, or for the
To rub soap or shaving cream over a surface until it turns into foam, or for the soap itself to produce foam when water is added and it is rubbed.
Diego lathered his face with warm water and shaving cream before picking up the razor.
transitive: lather + body part
This handmade olive-oil soap lathers beautifully even in cold tap water.
intransitive: soap + lathers + adverb
Theo lathered the dog's wet fur thoroughly before rinsing out the shampoo.
Nadia lathered her hands with the rose-scented soap while humming a quiet tune.
You should lather the sponge first before rubbing it over the car's painted surface.
- rinse
to remove soap rather than apply it
文法句型
lather + object
lather + adverb
lather + up
用法筆記
The intransitive use (e.g., 'this soap lathers well') describes how a product performs. The transitive use (e.g., 'lather your hands') is the active cleaning action. 'Lather up' is a common phrasal alternative meaning to apply lather to oneself.