Word of the Day
23 April 2026
lathe
nounWoodworking
A machine tool used to shape a piece of material, or workpiece, by rotating the workpiece against a cutting tool.
Why this one
Called the mother of machine tools because a lathe can turn the parts for other machines, including its own spindles and screws. The wood version and the metal version share the same idea: the work spins, the tool travels.
In use
Chuck it in the lathe and take a light pass first, that blank's a bit out of round and it'll knock the tool about.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.