lattice

noun lat·tice \ ˈla-təs \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Definition of lattice

1 a : a framework or structure of crossed wood or metal strips

b : a window, door, or gate having a lattice

c : a network or design resembling a lattice

2 : a regular geometrical arrangement of points or objects over an area or in space; specifically : the arrangement of atoms in a crystal

3 : a mathematical set that has some elements ordered and that is such that for any two elements there exists a greatest element in the subset of all elements less than or equal to both and a least element in the subset of all elements greater than or equal to both

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lattice

transitive verb

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latticed

play \ˈla-tist\ adjective

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Recent Examples of lattice from the Web

There are a plethora of patterns and colors, from a lattice to red, white, and blue pointed stars.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "Raf Simons Brings Americana to a New Medium: Calvin Klein Chairs," 11 June 2018
Human hands felled and peeled Douglas fir logs, pounded them upright into the stream bed, and wove a lattice of willow sticks through the posts.

— ben goldfarb, Science | AAAS, "Beaver dams without beavers? Artificial logjams are a popular but controversial restoration tool," 7 June 2018
To create the high-tech surface, Zhang and his colleagues applied painter’s tape in a lattice pattern to a 12-by-eight-foot wall, then coated it with commercially available conductive nickel paint.

— prachi patel, Scientific American, "How to Convert Your Wall into a Giant Touch Screen," 1 June 2018
Waffle Fries The lattice pattern makes them both crisp and clingy, with just the right balance of potato and crunch for breakfast.

— julia moskin, New York Times, "The Best Summer Fries, Ranked," 22 May 2018
Repeat folding and unfolding strips to weave a lattice pattern.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Rhubarb: How to cook, store, freeze the perfect pie plant," 29 May 2018
The band forges a powerful hybrid of melody and mood, creating a tuneful lattice of sound that often lingers in the air rather than pushing forward.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "Drummer Brian Blade funnels his disparate interests into the Fellowship Band," 11 May 2018
As far as finding a sail that reflects as much light as possible while staying low in mass, the scientists recommended sails with hexagonal lattices of holes to reduce their weight.

— charles q. choi, Scientific American, "Building Sails for Interstellar Probes Will Be Tough, But Not Impossible," 10 May 2018
On May 28, 2014, Robin was finally given an explanation for the tangled lattice of sicknesses that had been plaguing him.

— dave itzkoff, HWD, "Inside the Final Days of Robin Williams," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lattice.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.