lace
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a delicate cloth made of thread in a pattern with many small holes.
n.a fine, openwork decorative fabric made by looping, twisting, or knitting thread in patterns.
Simple“The bride's dress was covered in beautiful white lace.”
In context“The antique tablecloth featured intricate handmade lace that had been passed down through several generations of the family.”
Synonymsnettingfiligree - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a string or cord used to tie shoes or clothes together.
n.a cord or string used for drawing together the edges of shoes or garments by being passed through eyelets.
Simple“He bent down to tie his loose lace before he tripped.”
In context“The athlete tightened his laces securely to ensure his feet wouldn't slide inside his shoes during the sprint.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to pull a string through holes to close a shoe or piece of clothing.
v.to fasten or tighten a garment or shoe by pulling a cord through eyelets.
Simple“She carefully laced her new boots all the way to the top.”
In context“The Victorian corset required a second person to help lace the back tightly enough to achieve the desired silhouette.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to add a small amount of alcohol, a drug, or a strong flavour to a drink or food.
v.to add a small amount of a powerful substance—such as alcohol, drugs, or poison—to food or drink, often secretly.
Simple“The holiday punch was laced with a little bit of rum.”
In context“The detective suspected that the victim's coffee had been laced with a sedative shortly before the robbery took place.”
UsageUsually takes the preposition 'with'.
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to mix one thing through another, like adding specific words into a speech.
v.to intersperse or diversify something with another element; to weave together.
Simple“His speech was laced with jokes that made everyone laugh.”
In context“The author's prose was laced with subtle metaphors that only a careful reader would fully appreciate.”
From Middle English lace, laace, las, from Old French las, from Vulgar Latin *laceum, based on Latin laqueus. Doublet of lasso.
From Middle English lacen, lasen, from Old French lacer, lacier, lasser, lachier, from the noun (see above).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.