lace

1 a length of braided, flexible material that is used for tying or connecting things I had to replace the lace of my shoe because it kept breaking whenever I pulled the knot too tight Synonyms cable, cord, lacing, line, rope, string, wireRelated Words guy, halyard, lanyard, stay; bungee cord, whipcord

2 a length of something formed of three or more strands woven together there will be gold lace decorating both sleeves of the new uniform Synonyms braid, lacing, plait, platRelated Words rickrack (or ricrac), stripe; cornrow, dreadlock, pigtail, queue; braiding

1 to cause to twine about one another the gardener laced the shoots of ivy around the trellis to direct their growth Synonyms enlace, entwine, implicate [archaic], interlace, intertwist, interweave, inweave, intertwine, ply, twist, weave, wreathe, writheRelated Words braid, plait, plat, pleach; blend, fuse, join, link, mixNear Antonyms disentangle, uncoil, untangle, untwine, unwind

2 to scatter or set here and there among other things the decorator laced small mirrors among the knickknacks for added effect Synonyms interlace, intersperse, interweave, thread, salt, weave, wreatheRelated Words insert, intermingle, mingle, mix; alternate, juxtapose; amalgamate, assimilate, blend, combine, commingle, embody, fuse, incorporate, integrate, merge

3 to strike repeatedly energetically laced the seaman's back with the cat-o'-nine-tails Synonyms bash, baste, bat, batter, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, curry, do, drub, fib [British], flog, hammer, hide, beat, lambaste (or lambast), lash, lather, lick, maul, mess (up), paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch out, rough (up), slate, slog, switch, tan, thrash, thresh, thump, tromp, wallop, whale, whip, whop (or whap), whup, work overRelated Words assail, assault, attack, beset, box, bust, chop, clobber, clout, crack, cudgel, cuff, descend (on or upon), hit, jump (on), knock, lam, lay on, paste, pounce (on or upon), punch, raid, rush, slam, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, swat, swipe, thwack, whack, wham, whomp; blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, fustigate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap; gore, lacerate, wound; maim, mangle, mutilate

4 to make more pleasant to the taste by adding something intensely flavored a savory dish laced with saffron and ginger Synonyms flavor, season, savor (also savour), spiceRelated Words enhance, enrich, sauce; pepper, salt; aromatize, perfume

5 to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances the unsuspecting woman's drink had been laced with a roofie Synonyms cut, dilute, extend, adulterate, sophisticate, thin, water down, weakenRelated Words load; befoul, contaminate, corrupt, defile, dirty, envenom, foul, infect, poison, pollute, soil, spoil, sully, taint; cheapen, debase, degrade; manipulate, misrepresent, tamper (with); counterfeit, fake, falsify, fudge; doctor, spike; attenuate, moderate, qualify, temperNear Antonyms fertilize, lard; augment, reinforce (also reenforce), supplement; decontaminate, purify; clarify, clean, cleanse, distill (also distil), filter, flush, leach, pasteurize, purge, refine; better, enhance, improve; compact, concentrate, condenseAntonyms enrich, fortify, richen, strengthen