1. thin strips of wood nailed to rafters, ceiling joists, or wall studs to provide a foundation for slates, tiles, or plaster
Usage: construction; building

Examples

• The carpenter installed lathings across the ceiling joists before applying the plaster.
• Old houses often have horsehair plaster applied over wooden lathings.
• The roofer checked that all lathings were properly secured before laying the tiles.
• Damaged lathings in the wall needed to be replaced during the renovation.
• The plasterer could see gaps between the lathings where the old plaster had fallen away.
• Metal mesh has largely replaced traditional wooden lathings in modern construction.