laces
laces — noun
- lacessingular
- lacesesplural
1. a thin cord or string passed through small holes along the opening of a shoe, bo
a thin cord or string passed through small holes along the opening of a shoe, boot, or piece of clothing, then tied to fasten it securely
Minho stopped to tie his shoelaces before running onto the football field.
collocation: tie one's (shoe)laces
Talia bought new white laces for her gym shoes at the sports shop.
Samir pulled the laces tight and made a double knot to keep his boots secure.
Dewi's little brother could not tie his laces by himself yet.
Jude's shoelace came undone during the morning walk along the river.
- shoelace
the everyday compound; more explicit than lace alone
- bootlace
specifically for boots, usually thicker and longer
- drawstring
a cord used to close a bag or hood, not footwear
文法句型
laces (plural) for shoes / boots
用法筆記
The singular 'lace' can refer to one individual string, but 'laces' or 'shoelaces' is far more common in everyday use because shoes have two laces. 'Shoelace' is the everyday compound; 'lace' alone for this sense is more common in British English ('do up your laces').
常見錯誤
2. a light, delicate fabric made by twisting fine thread into patterns with small h
a light, delicate fabric made by twisting fine thread into patterns with small holes between them, used to decorate clothing or household items
Zola wore a beautiful white lace dress to her sister's wedding in Kyoto.
attributive use: lace + noun (lace dress)
Putri decorated the dining table with a handmade lace tablecloth for the party.
collocation: handmade lace / lace tablecloth
The sleeves of Camille's blouse had delicate lace trim around the edges.
Lara learned to make traditional lace from her grandmother in a small village.
Anna collected antique lace napkins from markets across Europe.
文法句型
lace + noun (lace collar, lace curtain)
用法筆記
When used as a material, lace is uncountable (e.g. 'a piece of lace'). It becomes countable when referring to specific pieces or types (e.g. 'handmade laces from Belgium').
常見錯誤
laces — verb
- lacespresent simple I / you / we / they
- laceses3rd person singular
- lacesing-ing form
- lacesedpast simple
1. to pass a lace through the small openings in a piece of footwear, then pull the
to pass a lace through the small openings in a piece of footwear, then pull the ends together and fasten them so it fits securely on the foot
Zola bent down to lace her running shoes before the race began.
transitive: lace + [footwear]
The hiker laced up his boots tightly before walking along the snowy path.
phrasal verb: lace up
Camille helped her little brother lace his new school shoes that morning.
The soldier laced his heavy boots and checked his uniform in the mirror.
Samir laced his trainers and went out for an evening jog through the park.
文法句型
lace + [shoes/boots]
lace up + [footwear]
用法筆記
The phrasal verb 'lace up' is common and can be used transitively ('lace up your boots') or intransitively ('These boots lace up at the front'). The simple form 'lace' (without 'up') is more common in British English for the fastening action.
常見錯誤
2. to secretly put a small amount of alcohol, a drug, or another substance into wha
to secretly put a small amount of alcohol, a drug, or another substance into what someone eats or drinks, usually without telling them
Someone had laced the party punch with vodka without telling the guests.
pattern: lace [drink] with [substance]
The police discovered that the drinks were laced with a dangerous chemical.
passive: be laced with [substance]
Stefan warned his friends never to accept drinks that might have been laced.
Tests showed that the cookies were laced with a substance that made people sleepy.
Layla felt dizzy after drinking juice that had been laced with sleeping pills.
- spike
more informal and stronger; always implies drugs or alcohol added secretly
- adulterate
formal and technical; can include adding cheaper or harmful ingredients for profit
- doctor
suggests tampering, but not limited to adding substances
文法句型
lace + noun + with + noun
be laced with + noun
用法筆記
This sense almost always appears in the passive voice ('was laced', 'had been laced') or with an unspecified agent. The subject is typically a drink or food; the substance added is introduced by 'with'. Historically neutral ('to lace tea with rum'), but in modern use often implies wrongdoing.
常見錯誤
3. to include a large amount of a particular quality, emotion, or type of language
to include a large amount of a particular quality, emotion, or type of language in a speech, piece of writing, film, or conversation
Her speech at the graduation ceremony was laced with humour and warmth.
passive figurative: [speech/writing] + be laced with + [abstract quality]
The novel is laced with historical references to life in nineteenth-century Paris.
His review of the film was laced with sharp criticism of the director's choices.
Dewi's blog posts are laced with references to traditional Indonesian music and dance.
The conversation over dinner was laced with playful jokes and funny stories.
- intersperse
more deliberate and structured; suggests scattering items evenly through a text
- infuse
suggests a quality permeates the whole work; stronger and more poetic
- pepper
informal; suggests frequent but scattered instances, like peppering a speech with swear words
文法句型
be laced with + noun (abstract quality)
用法筆記
Unlike verb sense 2, this sense does NOT imply secrecy or wrongdoing. The added element is typically abstract (humour, criticism, references, emotion) and the construction is almost exclusively passive. Active use ('He laced his speech with jokes') is possible but less common.