Home › Glossary › Letter L

latchet

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A strap or thong for fastening a shoe or sandal—appearing in detailed costume descriptions or symbolic foot imagery.

Detailed Definition
“Latchet” appears in biblical contexts (“not worthy to untie his latchet”), denoting humility. In poetry, it grounds grand themes in humble detail. The term’s specificity enriches historical authenticity. Poets use it to contrast divine majesty with human servitude, or to mark ritual gestures of submission in devotional and narrative traditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
“He knelt to unloose her latchet,” in a chivalric gesture; In biblical allusion (Mark 1:7): “Whose latchet I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose”—used in devotional poetry; “Her sandal’s latchet broke on the mountain path,” a narrative detail; “No servant would touch the tyrant’s latchet”; “The latchet of fate is easily slipped”; Her latchet bore a silver clasp from home.
Additional Notes
“Latchet” appears in biblical phrases (“not worthy to loose his latchet”), symbolizing humility or servitude; in historical verse, it grounds characters in period detail, marking class through footwear fastenings.
Also Known As
shoelace thong strap
Skip to main content