lace

UK: /ˈleɪs/ US: /leɪs/ ,(lās)

Inflections of 'lace' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

laces

v 3rd person singular

lacing

v pres p

laced

v past

laced

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

lace /leɪs/   n., v., laced, lac•ing. 
n. 

1. Textiles [uncountable] a netlike fabric of threads made by hand or machine, often used for decoration.
2. Textiles [countable] a cord or string for holding or drawing together, esp., a shoelace.

v. 

3. to fasten, draw together, or compress by or as if by means of a lace: [~ + object]
   He laced the canopy onto the tent.
   [~ + up + object]
   She laced up her ice skates.
   [~ + object + up]
   She laced the skates up.
4. to add a small amount of alcoholic liquor or other substance to:
   [~ + object] laced the coffee with a little brandy.
5. to attack physically or verbally:
   [~ + into + object] The candidate laced into her opponent.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

lace  (lās), n., v., laced, lac•ing. 
n. 

1. Textiles a netlike ornamental fabric made of threads by hand or machine.
2. Textiles a cord or string for holding or drawing together, as when passed through holes in opposite edges.
3. ornamental cord or braid, esp. of gold or silver, used to decorate uniforms, hats, etc.
4. a small amount of alcoholic liquor or other substance added to food or drink.

v.t. 

5. to fasten, draw together, or compress by or as if by means of a lace.
6. to pass (a cord, leather strip, etc.), as through holes.
7. to interlace or intertwine.
8. Textiles to adorn or trim with lace.
9. to add a small amount of alcoholic liquor or other substance to (food or drink):
   He took his coffee laced with brandy.
10. to lash, beat, or thrash.
11. to compress the waist of (a person) by drawing tight the laces of a corset, or the like.
12. to mark or streak, as with color.

v.i. 

13. to be fastened with a lace:
    These shoes lace up the side.
14. to attack physically or verbally (often fol. by into):
    The teacher laced into his students.

• Middle French lacier, lasser, lachier (French lacer) Latin laqueāre to enclose in a noose, trap
• Old French laz, las Latin laqueus noose; (verb, verbal) Middle English lasen
• (noun, nominal) Middle English las 1175–1225

lace′like′, adj. 
lac′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

lace / leɪs/ noun

1. a delicate decorative fabric made from cotton, silk, etc, woven in an open web of different symmetrical patterns and figures
2. a cord or string drawn through holes or eyelets or around hooks to fasten a shoe or garment
3. ornamental braid often used on military uniforms, etc

verb

1. to fasten (shoes, etc) with a lace
2. (transitive) to draw (a cord or thread) through holes, eyes, etc, as when tying shoes
3. (transitive) to compress the waist of (someone), as with a corset
4. (transitive) to add a small amount of alcohol or drugs to (food or drink)
5. (tr; usually passive) and followed by with: to streak or mark with lines or colours: the sky was laced with red
6. (transitive) to intertwine; interlace
7. (transitive) to give a sound beating to

Etymology: 13th Century las, from Old French laz, from Latin laqueus noose