laches

See also: lâches and lâchés

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman laches, from Old French lachesse (“laxness”), from laschier, from Vulgar Latin laxico, frequentative of Latin laxo (“relax, moderate, weaken”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈlætʃɪz/
• Rhymes: -ætʃɪz
• Homophone: latches

Noun

laches

1. Negligence in one's duty.
   • 1919, Stanley J. Weyman, “V. The London Packet”, in The Great House:

     But there was a quality in Mary that did not lightly invite to gallantry—a gravity and a balance that, had he looked closely into the matter, might have explained his laches.

2. (law) An unreasonable delay in bringing a claim alleging a wrong, which means the person who waited shall not be permitted to seek an equitable remedy because the delay prejudiced the moving party.
   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 15, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:

     It ill became him to take advantage of such a laches with the eagerness of a shrewd attorney.

Translations

legal doctrine

• Bulgarian: пропускане на срок (propuskane na srok)
• Dutch: verwijtbare (nl) nalatigheid (nl) f
• Polish: przedawnienie n
• Russian: неоснова́тельное промедле́ние n (neosnovátelʹnoje promedlénije)
• Spanish: tardanza (es) f, incuria (es) f, prescripción negativa f

References

• W. Martin with G[uy] A. J. Tops, et al. (1998) Van Dale Groot Woordenboek Engels–Nederlands [Van Dale Great Dictionary, English–Dutch], 3rd edition, volume I, Utrecht, Antwerp: Van Dale Lexicografie, →ISBN.

Further reading

• “laches”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Cashel, cashel, chelas, sachel

Occitan

Noun

laches

1. plural of lach