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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Late \Late\ (l[=a]t), adjective [Compar. {Later} (l[=a]t"[~e]r), or {latter} (l[a^]t"t[~e]r); superl. {Latest} (l[=a]t"[e^]st) or {Last} (l[.a]st).] [OE. lat slow, slack, AS. l[ae]t; akin to OS. lat, D. laat late, G. lass weary, lazy, slack, Icel. latr, Sw. lat, Dan. lad, Goth. lats, and to E. let, v. See {Let} to permit, and cf. {Alas}, {Lassitude}.]
1. Coming after the time when due, or after the usual or proper time; not early; slow; tardy; long delayed; as, a late spring.
2. Far advanced toward the end or close; as, a late hour of the day; a late period of life.
3. Existing or holding some position not long ago, but not now; recently deceased, departed, or gone out of office; as, the late bishop of London; the late administration.
4. Not long past; happening not long ago; recent; as, the late rains; we have received late intelligence.
5. Continuing or doing until an advanced hour of the night; as, late revels; a late watcher.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Latter \Lat"ter\, adjective [OE. later, l[ae]tter, compar. of lat late. See {Late}, and cf. {Later}.]
1. Later; more recent; coming or happening after something else; -- opposed to {former}; as, the former and latter rain.
2. Of two things, the one mentioned second.
The difference between reason and revelation, and in what sense the latter is superior. --I. Watts.
3. Recent; modern.
Hath not navigation discovered in these latter ages, whole nations at the bay of Soldania? --Locke.
4. Last; latest; final. [R.] ''My latter gasp.'' --Shak.
{Latter harvest}, the last part of the harvest.
{Latter spring}, the last part of the spring of the year. --Shak.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
latter
adjective: referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several); "in the latter case" [syn: {latter(a)}] [ant: {former(a)}]
noun: the second of two or the second mentioned of two; "Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the latter is remembered today" [ant: {former}]
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |