lat

1 of 3

noun

ˈlat 

plural lats

informal

: a broad, flat muscle of the middle and lower back : latissimus dorsi

—usually plural

In centuries past, people did not act like captive hamsters. If a person chopped wood or ran a long way, it was because he or she needed fuel or wanted to get somewhere. Now we do such things to fit into new pants or develop our lats.

—Rick Telander

lat

2 of 3

abbreviation (1)

latitude

LAT

3 of 3

abbreviation (2)

local apparent time

Examples of lat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Luis Gil will miss the start of the season with a lat strain and Clarke Schmidt has been dealing with injuries in cap that could delay his 2025 debut. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025

If not, a rotation that looked like a strength just a few weeks ago could become a liability, as Luis Gil is also out due to a lat strain. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2025

The Yankees, meanwhile, are down two starters, as Luis Gil is out with a high-grade lat strain and isn’t expected back until the summer. —Gary Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025

Also, Frankie Montas, a free agent signee expected to provide good depth in the rotation, strained his right lat, and is out six to eight weeks as well. —Scott Thompson, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1939, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lat

• aught
• baht
• blot
• bott
• bought
• brought
• caught
• clot
• cot
• cott
• dot
• fought

Medical Definition

lat

noun

ˈlat 

: latissimus dorsi

—usually used in plural