/ leɪs; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ U ] a delicate material made from threads of cotton, silk, etc. that are twisted into a pattern of holes :
a lace handkerchief
a tablecloth edged with lace
lace curtains
—see also lacy
2.
[ C ] = shoelace :
Your laces are undone.
■ verb
1.
lace (sth) (up) to be fastened with laces ; to fasten sth with laces :
[ v ]
She was wearing a dress that laced up at the side.
[ vn ]
He was sitting on the bed lacing up his shoes.
—see also lace-up
2.
[ vn ] to put a lace through the holes in a shoe, a boot, etc.
—related noun lace-up
3.
[ vn ] lace sth (with sth) to add a small amount of alcohol, a drug, poison, etc. to a drink
SYN spike :
He had laced her milk with rum.
4.
[ vn ] lace sth (with sth) to add a particular quality to a book, speech, etc. :
Her conversation was laced with witty asides.
5.
[ vn ] to twist sth together with another thing :
They sat with their fingers laced.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French laz , las (noun), lacier (verb), based on Latin laqueus noose (also an early sense in English). Compare with lasso .