A lathe chuck is a clamping device used to hold a workpiece in place while it is being machined on a lathe. The chuck attaches to the spindle of the lathe and has jaws that grip the workpiece, allowing it to rotate while cutting tools are applied to its surface. There are various types of lathe chucks, including independent-jaw chucks, scroll chucks, and collet chucks, each with different mechanisms for clamping the workpiece in place.