lace
/leɪs/ (bre, ipa) · /leɪs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlās/ (ame, mw)
lace — noun
- lacesingular
- lacesplural
1. a light-weight fabric created by looping fine strands of cotton, nylon, or silk
a light-weight fabric created by looping fine strands of cotton, nylon, or silk into an open decorative web with small gaps between the threads, typically used as a trim on clothes or soft furnishings
Ada wore a white dress with delicate lace along the sleeves and collar.
collocation: delicate lace / lace along [article of clothing]
The bride's veil was made of fine Belgian lace her grandmother brought from Europe.
lace as a countable type: a lace / Belgian lace
Antonia sewed a strip of white lace onto the edge of the linen tablecloth.
Small shops near the square sell silk ribbons, cotton lace, and beads for sewing.
用法筆記
Often used as a modifier before nouns: lace curtain, lace trim, lace pattern. Frequently countable in commercial contexts ('a delicate lace', 'Belgian laces').
常見錯誤
2. a thin piece of string or cord that is passed through small holes along the two
a thin piece of string or cord that is passed through small holes along the two sides of a shoe and pulled tight to fasten the shoe around the foot
Kian stopped halfway down the path to tie his laces before the race.
collocation: tie one's laces
One of Noa's laces came undone during the walk and she nearly tripped on it.
collocation: lace comes undone
Christopher bought bright red laces to replace the old grey ones on his trainers.
Andrew bent down and did up his laces tightly before stepping onto the football pitch.
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural ('laces') when referring to the pair on a shoe. The singular refers to one individual string. 'Shoelace' is more formal; 'lace' alone is common in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
lace — verb
- lacepresent simple I / you / we / they
- laces3rd person singular
- lacing-ing form
- lacedpast simple
1. to secretly add alcohol, drugs, or poison to someone's food or drink without the
to secretly add alcohol, drugs, or poison to someone's food or drink without their knowledge
Someone at the party laced her drink with a drug while she was not looking.
lace + drink + with + drug
Police found that the wine had been laced with sleeping pills before it was served.
passive: be laced with [substance]
Kwame warned his friends never to leave their cups unattended in case someone laced them.
Tests showed that coffee at the crime scene had been laced with a colourless poison.
- spike
more informal than 'lace'; common in casual speech for secretly adding alcohol or drugs
- adulterate
formal and technical; implies making something impure or weaker by adding a foreign substance
- tamper with
broader — can mean interfering with something in any way, not just adding substances
文法句型
lace + object + with + substance
用法筆記
Strongly implies secrecy and malicious intent. The substance is usually harmful (alcohol, drugs, poison), though it can occasionally be used humorously ('coffee laced with extra sugar').
常見錯誤
❌ 'The chef laced the soup with salt.' — using 'lace' for harmless everyday ingredients sounds unnatural; use 'added' or 'seasoned' instead.
2. to contain a large amount of a particular quality, emotion, or type of language
to contain a large amount of a particular quality, emotion, or type of language in speech, writing, or artistic work
His farewell speech was laced with humour and stories from his years at the company.
be laced with humour
The novel is laced with sharp criticism of the way society treats older workers.
Élise's apology was laced with sarcasm, so the teacher sent her to the headmaster's office.
Aarav's travel blog was laced with vivid descriptions of local markets and street food.
- interspersed with
more neutral and less intense; simply means scattered among, without the sense of abundance
- infused with
suggests the quality permeates the whole piece more evenly and thoroughly than 'laced'
- tinged with
implies a small amount, not a large amount — the opposite in intensity
文法句型
be laced with + [quality/emotion/style]
用法筆記
Almost always in the passive voice ('is laced with', 'was laced with'). Common with abstract nouns: humour, sarcasm, irony, anger, criticism, nostalgia. The 'something' added is nearly always an abstract quality, not a physical substance.
常見錯誤
3. to pass a lace through the holes of a shoe, boot, or other item and pull the end
to pass a lace through the holes of a shoe, boot, or other item and pull the ends tight to fasten it, or to be fastened in this way
Ada laced her hiking boots carefully before walking up the mountain trail.
transitive: lace + footwear
These running shoes lace up at the front rather than on the side.
intransitive: shoes lace up
Min laced her ice skates so tightly that her ankles felt snug and well supported.
Piotr unlaced his work boots and left them by the door after a long shift.
- unlace
to loosen or remove the laces from something
文法句型
lace + (up) + garment
lace + object + through + holes
用法筆記
The phrasal verb 'lace up' emphasises the action of fastening completely. 'Unlace' is the opposite and is common. This sense also applies to corsets, bodices, and other garments that fasten with laces.
常見錯誤
4. to decorate or trim an item of clothing or fabric by adding lace as an ornamenta
to decorate or trim an item of clothing or fabric by adding lace as an ornamental feature
The baby's white christening gown was laced with a soft cotton trim along the hem.
passive: be laced with [decorative material]
Valentina laced the neckline of the bridesmaid dress with a thin strip of silk lace.
The vintage dress had been laced with silk ribbons and pearl beads around the neckline.
The tailor laced the collar of the officer's dress uniform with gold thread.
文法句型
be laced with + [decorative material]
用法筆記
Less common in modern everyday English; more often encountered in historical or craft contexts. The simple term 'trimmed with lace' is more frequent in contemporary speech.