noun
lace
lays
noun
1
A delicate, decorative fabric made of patterned holes and thread.
"The wedding dress was trimmed with handmade lace."
2
A cord or string threaded through eyelets to fasten a shoe or garment.
"One of his shoelaces snapped just before the race."
verb
1
To fasten something using laces.
"She laced up her boots before heading out into the snow."
2
To secretly add alcohol, a drug, or another substance to food or drink.
"Someone had laced the punch with vodka without telling the guests."
How to Use Lace
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the decorative fabric, the cord used to tie shoes, or the act of secretly mixing something into food or drink.
Common pairings
lace curtains
lace up
laced with
Word Forms
laced past tense, laces plural, laces singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “lace”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The wedding dress was trimmed with handmade _____.
Etymology
From Old French las, ultimately from Latin laqueus, "snare" or "noose" — a doublet of "lasso."