I.a brick, tile.
I. Lit.: “nil mirum, vetus est maceria, lateres si veteres ruunt,” Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 49 sqq.: “in latere aut in caemento, ex quibus urbs effecta est,” Cic. Div. 2, 47, 98; cf.: “paries crudo latere ac luto constructus,” Col. 9, 1, 2: “contabulationem summam lateribus lutoque constraverunt,” Caes. B. C. 2, 9: “lateres de terra ducere,” to make, Vitr. 2, 3, 1: “lateres coquere,” to burn, id. 1, 5: “sepimentum e lateribus coctilibus,” burnt bricks, Varr. R. R. 1, 14, 4.—Prov.: laterem lavare, to wash a brick, = πλίνθον πλύνειν, i. e. to wash the color out of a brick, to labor in vain, Ter. Phorm. 1, 4, 8; but cf. Lucil. Sat. 9, 19.—
II. Transf.: lateres aurei, argentei, bars, ingots, or wedges of gold, of silver, Plin. 33, 3, 17, § 56; Varr. ap. Non. 131, 15; 520, 17.