lacing

UK: /ˈleɪsɪŋ/ US: (lā′sing)

From the verb lace: (⇒ conjugate)

lacing is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

lac•ing  (lā′sing), n. 

1. the act of a person or thing that laces.
2. Clothing a trimming of lace or braid.
3. a beating or thrashing.
4. a small amount of alcoholic liquor or any other substance added to food or drink.
5. Clothing a lace used for fastening, as in a shoe or corset.
6. Building any member or members, as a batten plate or steel bars, uniting the angles or flanges of a composite girder, column, or strut.
7. Building Also called lac′ing course′. [Masonry.]
   • a course of brick in a wall of rubble.
   • a bond course in a rowlock arch.
8. Nautical, Naval Terms any light line for fastening a sail, awning, or other cloth.

• 1350–1400; Middle English; see lace, -ing¹

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

lacing / ˈleɪsɪŋ/ noun

1. a course of bricks, stone, etc, for strengthening a rubble or flint wall
2. another word for lace2,
3. a severe beating (esp in the phrase give someone a lacing)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

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 © 2026

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