Lath means thin slats of wood fastened to major uprights in a building to create the foundation for applying plaster, tiles, etc.: “Two laborers held the lath against the wall to help the mason to plaster it with cement.”
Lathe, on the other hand, means a machine that holds the primary material in a horizontal position so it can be rotated against a fixed blade to cut or carve the primary material: “Only an experienced machinist can make use of lathe to give round shape to different pieces of furniture.”
Lath & Lathe
