latter

From Old English lætra, comparative form of læt (“late”). Doublet of later; also, cognate with last, whose doublet is latest.

• (non-rhotic) enPR: lăt'ə(r), IPA^(key): /ˈlæt.ə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlæt.əɹ/, [ˈlæɾ.ɚ]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophone: ladder (in accents with flapping)
• Rhymes: -ætə(ɹ)

latter (not comparable)

1. Relating to or being the second of two items.
   • March 2017, Jennifer S. Holland, “For These Monkeys, It’s a Fight for Survival.”, in National Geographic‎^[1]:

     On sale next to dried fish and chicken feet were rats and bats (the latter's wings in a pile like leather scraps, also for sale), plus cut-up pigs and monkeys, their faces intact.

   • 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726, →OCLC:

     the difference between reason and revelation, and in what sense the latter is superior

2. Near (or nearer) to the end.
3. In the past, but close (or closer) to the present time.
   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:

     Hath not navigation discovered in these latter ages, whole nations at the bay of Soldania […] ?

• Tatler, rattle

From Old Norse hlátr, from Proto-Germanic *hlahtraz (“laughter”), cognate with Norwegian lått, English laughter and German Gelächter. Derived from the verb *hlahjaną (“to laugh”), cf. Danish le, English laugh, German lachen.

• IPA^(key): [ˈlad̥ɐ]

latter c (singular definite latteren, not used in plural form)

1. laughter

• Audio:

  (file)

latter

1. to lath

• “latter”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

latter

1. (Jersey) to beat, spank, cane

• (to cane): codrer, donner la tchêne, vrédîndgi, vrier

From Old Norse hlátr.

latter m (definite singular latteren) (uncountable)

1. laughter
2. laugh

   en god latter ― a good laugh

• lått (Nynorsk also)

• “latter” in The Bokmål Dictionary.