Lattis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A structure of crisscrossed strips or bars, often used in fencing or as a decorative element in architecture
2. An arrangement of thin, interlaced pieces forming a grid-like pattern, commonly seen in garden trellises and screens
3. A framework featuring crossed strips that provides support or allows for airflow and light while maintaining a visually appealing design

Etymology: English once had "lattis," a form that names the thing's material outright. It came from Old French "lattis," a framework of laths, the thin wooden strips used to hold up plaster or roofing. That noun grew from "lattier," to cover with laths, and "latte," a lath. The French "latte" likely comes from a Frankish or other Germanic word for a slat or batten. The sense of crossed bars carried through, while the spelling eventually shifted toward "lattice." Today's garden trellis and fencing grille are still, at root, a set of crossed strips.