The word "lasts" is commonly used to refer to the durability or endurance of something. Its spelling might raise some eyebrows, but phonetically it is transcribed as /læsts/. This word has a single syllable and begins with the voiceless alveolar and ends with the voiceless alveolar fricative sound, indicated respectively by /l/ and /s/. The vowel sound in the middle is the short "a" sound, represented by /æ/. So, in summary, "lasts" is spelled as it sounds, and it's important to remember the silent "t" at the end.
The term "lasts" can have various meanings depending on its context. In general, "lasts" is the plural form of the noun "last" and can refer to a few different things.
Firstly, "lasts" can refer to the final or most recent occurrences of something. It signifies the end or the concluding part of a series or sequence. For example, if someone says "these are the lasts of the items we have in stock," it means that these are the remaining or final items available.
Secondly, "lasts" can be an abbreviation for "lasting" or "durable." It refers to the longevity or endurance of an object or material. In this sense, "lasts" implies that something has the ability to withstand wear and tear or to maintain its quality over time. For instance, when discussing the lifespan of a shoe, someone might say, "these shoes have rubber soles that last longer than those with synthetic soles."
Lastly, "lasts" can also be used as a verb, specifically the third person singular form of the verb "to last." In this case, it means to persist or continue for a certain duration. For instance, if someone says "the concert lasts for two hours," it means that the concert will have a duration of two hours.
Overall, "lasts" can refer to the final occurrences, durability of an object, or the act of persisting or continuing for a certain duration.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "lasts" is derived from the Old English word "laest", which means "footprint" or "track". This term later evolved into "last", referring to a shoemaker's or cobbler's wooden or metal form in the shape of a human foot. The purpose of a last was to shape and mold shoes around it during the manufacturing process. Over time, "lasts" also came to refer to the durable molds used in various other trades, such as hat-making, woodworking, and even orthopedics.