Meaning
An alloy of copper and tin, similar to bronze, with a sufficient portion of tin to make it a pewter-like color with yellowish tinge (rather than the brownish-gold color of bronze of higher copper content), once used in thin sheets and for domestic utensils and light-duty tools.
Etymology
Origin: Middle English
From Middle English laten, latun, latoun, from Old French laton, laiton, from Arabic لَاطُون (lāṭūn, “copper, copper alloy”), itself from Proto-Common Turkic *altun (“gold”). See Turkish altın, Old Turkic 𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣 (altun, “gold”), Karakhanid اَلْتُونْ (altūn, “gold”).
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2021, 2025, 2026.