plural lats
informal
: a broad, flat muscle of the middle and lower back : latissimus dorsi
usually plural
… stretch your lats by straightening your arms and slightly rotating your scapulae outward.Mike Soohey

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Red Sox shut him down with lat tightness the following Sunday. Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 July 2026 In the bell, Holzinger’s previously compact torso becomes long and androgynous, her arms and lats titanic. Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 Seabold pitched two-thirds of an inning before exiting with right-lat tightness. Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026 Hicks, who struggled with the Red Sox last year, was inconsistent before going down with a right lat strain. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lat

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1939, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lat was in 1939

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Cite this Entry

“Lat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lat. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Medical Definition

: latissimus dorsi
usually used in plural
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