What is "lace"

Lace \Lace\ (l[=a]s), n. [OE. las, OF. laz, F. lacs, dim. lacet, fr. L. laqueus noose, snare; prob. akin to lacere to entice. Cf. Delight, Elicit, Lasso, Latchet.]

1. That which binds or holds, especially by being interwoven; a string, cord, or band, usually one passing through eyelet or other holes, and used in drawing and holding together parts of a garment, of a shoe, of a machine belt, etc.

   His hat hung at his back down by a lace.
   --Chaucer.

   For striving more, the more in laces strong Himself he tied.
   --Spenser.

2. A snare or gin, especially one made of interwoven cords; a net. [Obs.]
   --Fairfax.

   Vulcanus had caught thee [Venus] in his lace.
   --Chaucer.

3. A fabric of fine threads of linen, silk, cotton, etc., often ornamented with figures; a delicate tissue of thread, much worn as an ornament of dress.

   Our English dames are much given to the wearing of costly laces.
   --Bacon.

4. Spirits added to coffee or some other beverage. [Old Slang]
   --Addison.

   Alen[,c]on lace, a kind of point lace, entirely of needlework, first made at Alen[,c]on in France, in the 17th century. It is very durable and of great beauty and cost.

   Bone lace, Brussels lace, etc. See under Bone, Brussels, etc.

   Gold lace, or Silver lace, lace having warp threads of silk, or silk and cotton, and a weft of silk threads covered with gold (or silver), or with gilt.

   Lace leather, thin, oil-tanned leather suitable for cutting into lacings for machine belts.

   Lace lizard (Zo["o]l.), a large, aquatic, Australian lizard ( Hydrosaurus giganteus), allied to the monitors.

   Lace paper, paper with an openwork design in imitation of lace.

   Lace piece (Shipbuilding), the main piece of timber which supports the beak or head projecting beyond the stem of a ship.

   Lace pillow, and Pillow lace. See under Pillow.

Lace \Lace\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Laced ([=a]st); p. pr. & vb. n. Lacing.]

1. To fasten with a lace; to draw together with a lace passed through eyelet holes; to unite with a lace or laces, or, figuratively. with anything resembling laces.
   --Shak.

   When Jenny's stays are newly laced.
   --Prior.

2. To adorn with narrow strips or braids of some decorative material; as, cloth laced with silver.
   --Shak.

3. To beat; to lash; to make stripes on. [Colloq.]

   I'll lace your coat for ye.
   --L'Estrange.

4. To add something to (a food or beverage) so as to impart flavor, pungency, or some special quality; as, to lace a punch with alcohol; to lace the Kool-Aid with LSD. [Old Slang]

5. To twine or draw as a lace; to interlace; to intertwine.

   The Gond . . . picked up a trail of the Karela, the vine that bears the bitter wild gourd, and laced it to and fro across the temple door.
   --Kipling.

Lace \Lace\, v. i. To be fastened with a lace, or laces; as, these boots lace.

early 13c., laz, "cord made of braided or interwoven strands of silk, etc.," from Old French laz "a net, noose, string, cord, snare" (Modern French lacs), from Vulgar Latin *lacium, from Latin laqueum (nominative laqueus) "noose, snare" (source also of Italian laccio, Spanish lazo), a trapping and hunting term, probably from Italic base *laq- "to ensnare" (compare Latin lacere "to entice"). Later also "net, noose, snare" (c.1300); and "piece of cord used to draw together the edges of slits or openings in an article of clothing" (late 14c., as in shoelace). The "ornamental net pattern" meaning is first recorded 1550s. As an adjective, lace-curtain "middle class" (or lower-class with middle-class pretensions), usually is used in reference to Irish-Americans, is attested by 1928.

c.1200, "fasten (clothing, etc.) with laces and ties," from Old French lacier, from laz (see lace (n.)). Also "tighten (a garment) by pulling its laces" (early 14c.). To lace coffee, etc., with a dash of liquor (1670s) originally was used of sugar, and comes via the notion of "to ornament or trim." Related: Laced; lacing. Laced mutton was "an old word for a whore" [Johnson].

n. (context uncountable English) A light fabric containing patterns of holes, usually built up from a single thread.^{(w Lace W)} vb. 1 (label en transitive) To fasten (something) with laces. 2 (label en transitive) To add alcohol, poison, a drug or anything else potentially harmful to (food or drink). 3 (label en transitive) To interweave items.

1. n. a cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment) [syn: lacing]

2. a delicate decorative fabric woven in an open web of symmetrical patterns

1. v. spin or twist together so as to form a cord; "intertwine the ribbons"; "Twine the threads into a rope" [syn: intertwine, twine, entwine, enlace, interlace] [ant: untwine]

2. make by braiding or interlacing; "lace a tablecloth" [syn: braid, plait]

3. do lacework; "The Flemish women were lacing in front of the cathedral"

4. draw through eyes or holes; "lace the shoelaces" [syn: lace up]

5. add alcohol beverages [syn: spike, fortify]

Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand.

Originally linen, silk, gold, or silver threads were used. Now lace is often made with cotton thread, although linen and silk threads are still available. Manufactured lace may be made of synthetic fiber. A few modern artists make lace with a fine copper or silver wire instead of thread.

Lace is a lightweight fabric patterned with open holes.

Lace may refer to:

• Shoelace, a thin cord fitted to shoes to keep the shoes in place
• Lacing, the act of connecting a set of points in a criss cross pattern of lines. Common usage: the lacing of shoe strings.

Lace is an American television two-part miniseries, based on the novel of the same name by author Shirley Conran. The series aired on ABC on February 26–27, 1984. The plot concerns the search by sex symbol Lili ( Phoebe Cates) for her natural mother, who surrendered her for adoption as a newborn. Lace was one of the highest-rated television movies of the 1983–84 television season.

Lili's line "Incidentally, which one of you bitches is my mother?", addressed to her three maternal candidates — Pagan Trelawney ( Brooke Adams), Judy Hale ( Bess Armstrong) and Maxine Pascal ( Arielle Dombasle) — was named the best line in television history by TV Guide in its 1993 issue celebrating 40 years of television.

Lace was a Canadian country music group who formed in 1998 with the backing of music producer David Foster. Active between 1998 and 2001, the band charted four singles on national country music charts, in addition to releasing a self-titled studio album on 143 Records (in association with Warner Bros. Records Nashville).

Lace is the studio album by Canadian country music group Lace. The album was released on October 5, 1999 on 143 Records.

Lace'' (German:Spitzen'') is a 1926 German silent crime film directed by Holger-Madsen and starring Olaf Fønss, Elisabeth Pinajeff and Evelyn Holt.

The film's sets were designed by the art director Alfred Junge.

Lace'' (Russian:Kruzheva'') is a 1928 Soviet silent film directed by Sergei Yutkevich and starring Nina Shaternikova, Konstantin Gradopolov and Boris Tenin.