latter

From Old English lætra, comparative form of læt (“late”).

• enPR: lăt'ə(r), IPA^(key): /ˈlæt.ə(ɹ)/
  • (US) IPA^(key): /ˈlæt̬.əɹ/, [ˈlæɾ.ɚ]

    • Audio (US)

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• Homophone: ladder (some accents)
• Rhymes: -ætə(r)

latter (not comparable)

1. Relating to or being the second of two items.
   • 2017, Jennifer S. Holland, For These Monkeys, It’s a Fight for Survival., National Geographic (March 2017)

     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.

   • Isaac Watts

     (Can we date this quote?) 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.
   • 1690, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

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

• aforesaid
• aforementioned
• former

• lattermost

• latter-day
• latterly
• lattermath
• last, the superlative form of "latter"

• Tatler, rattle

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)

• latterlig
• lattermild

• “latter” in The Bokmål Dictionary.