lather

1 a light mass of fine bubbles formed in or on a liquid she worked the shampoo into a lather before rubbing it into her pet dog's coat Synonyms froth, head, foam, spume, suds, surfRelated Words mousse; mist, spindrift, spray; scum

2 a state of nervous or irritated concern he worked himself into a lather waiting for the results of the AIDS test Synonyms dither, fluster, fuss, huff, fret, pother, stew, sweat, swelter, swivet, tizzy, twitterRelated Words bother, dudgeon, pique; alarm (also alarum), hand-wringing, panic; ado, agitation, delirium, distraction, furor, hysteria, uproar; nervous breakdown

to strike repeatedly the flinty rancher did not hesitate to lather a recalcitrant horse Synonyms bash, baste, bat, batter, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, curry, do, drub, fib [British], flog, hammer, hide, lace, lambaste (or lambast), lash, beat, lick, maul, mess (up), paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch out, rough (up), slate, slog, switch, tan, thrash, thresh, thump, tromp, wallop, whale, whip, whop (or whap), whup, work overRelated Words assail, assault, attack, beset, box, bust, chop, clobber, clout, crack, cudgel, cuff, descend (on or upon), hit, jump (on), knock, lam, lay on, paste, pounce (on or upon), punch, raid, rush, slam, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, swat, swipe, thwack, whack, wham, whomp; blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, fustigate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap; gore, lacerate, wound; maim, mangle, mutilate