Forms: 3–4 las, 4–5 laas, (4 lasse, Sc. laise, 5 laace), 5–7 lase, (5 Sc. les, 6 laze, Sc. lais), 4– lace. [ad. OF. laz, las (mod.F. lacs, with etymologizing spelling), f. popular L. *lacium (L. laqueum) a noose. Cf. It. laccio, Sp., Pg. lazo.]
† 1. A net, noose, snare. Chiefly fig. Obs.
13[?]. K. Alis., 7698. Woman the haveth bycought: Woman the haveth in hire las!
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 2389. Vulcanus had caught thee in his las.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, Dance Machabree (1554), 222. Sithens that death me holdeth in his lase.
1491. Caxton, Vitas Patr. (W. de W., 1495), I. i. 6 b j. How they myghte eschewe the laces and temptacyons of the deuyll.
1590. Greene, Never too late, II. (1600), O 3 b. Thus folded in a hard and mournfull laze Distrest sate hee.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, II. xx. The king had snared been in loues strong lace.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 973. And yet if the polype can get and entangle him once within his long laces, hee [the lobster] dies for it.
† 2. A cord, line, string, thread or tie. Obs. exc. spec. as in 3 a.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 15880 (Gött.). Þar he [Iudas] liuerd his maistir up Þai bunden had wid las [Cott. laȝas]. Ibid. (c. 1340), 22967 (Fairf.). I salle … breke þaire bandis & þair lacis.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 237. They taughten him a lace to braide.
1405–6. Acc. Rolls Durham (Surtees), 400. Cum … lacez et anulis pro ridellis.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, III. xxii. And hym to treyne [they] layde out hoke & lase.
a. 1435. Wyntoun, Orig. Cron., IV. x. 1231. Off gold thrawyn all lyk a les.
1463. in Bury Wills (Camden), 42. A stoon and a reed lace with a knoppe.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Æsop, I. xviii. (1889), 27. The ratte beganne … to byte the lace or cord.
1535. Coverdale, Eccles. xii. 6. Or euer the syluer lace be taken awaye.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, III. viii. (1647), 123. Pitie it was that Rahab’s red lace was not tied at his window.
† b. transf. and fig. Obs.
a. 1547. Surrey, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 4. To seke the place where I my selfe had lost, That day that I was tangled in the lace.
1555. Eden, Decades, 200. Abowte whose leaues there growe and creepe certeyne cordes or laces.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. xx. 30. The roote hath many smal strings or threddy laces hanging thereby.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., ii. 143. The red scarlet lace of Christs blood, must be entortled and interwoven into a bracelet, with a white silken thred of holinesse and regeneration.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, II. iv. 103. Some fancy a small Lace of land (or rather a thread for the narrowness thereof) whereby Naphtali is tyed unto Judah.
3. spec. a. A string or cord serving to draw together opposite edges (chiefly of articles of clothing, as bodices, stays, boots and shoes) by being passed in and out through eyelet-holes (or over hooks, studs, etc.) and pulled tight. Cf. boot-, shoe-, stay-lace.
† Under lace: under the bodice; in ME. poetry = ‘under gore.’
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1830. I schal gif yow my girdel, þat gaynes yow lasse. Ho laȝt a lace lyȝtly, þat leke vmbe hir sydez.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 843. And shod he was with greet maistrye, With shoon decoped, & with laas.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, Baptista, 1208. To quham I ame nocht worthi loute na of his schone þe laise tak oute.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 79. To wenen Þat þe lace of oure ladie smok liȝteþ hem of children.
c. 1440. Ipomydon, 326 (Kölbing). He … drew a lace of sylke fall clere, Adowne than felle hys mantylle by.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 1817. They … betoke hur to the marynere, That lovely undur lace.
1534. More, Picus, Wks. 30. Ne none so small a trifle or conceyte, Lase, girdle, point, or proper gloue straite.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. ii. 49. She was indeed a Pedler’s daughter, and sold many Laces.
1611. Bible, Exod. xxviii. 28. They shall bind the brestplate … vnto the rings of the Ephod with a lace of blewe.
1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, I. x. 28. Sprinkling water in her face, and cutting her laces, they made her fit abate.
1676. Grew, Anat. Flowers, i. § 3. As Teeming Women, gradually slaken their Laces.
1709. Blair, in Phil. Trans., XXVII. 96. Like so many Thongs or Laces whereinto a piece of Leather had been cut.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 193. The Flowers bear a resemblance to tags at the End of long Laces.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), I. xvi. 106. When I recovered, [I] found … my laces cut, my linen scented with hartshorn.
1879. Browning, Ned Bratts, 133. He taught himself the make Of laces, tagged and tough.
1885. Law Rep., Q. B. D., XV. 360. The two ends were rivetted or laced together with metal rivets or leathern laces.
¶ Formerly sometimes used to render L. fibula ‘brooch.’
1382. Wyclif, 1 Macc. x. 88. He sente to hym a golden lace [L. fibulam].
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 283/1. Lace, fibula, laqueum.
1570. Levins, Manip., 6/35. A lace, fibula.
† b. A cord used to support something hanging, e.g., a sword; a baldrick, belt. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Can. Yeom. Prol., 21. His hat heng at his bak doun by a laas.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xvi. 63. Eneas … had a bystorye … hangynge at a silken lase by his side.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, xxii. 66. He hade about hys necke a ryche horne hangyng by two lases of golde.
1597. Montgomerie, Cherrie & Slae, 115. His quauer by his naked thyis Hang in ane siluer lace.
† 4. ? transf. from 3 a. In building: A tie beam; a brace. Also, a panelled ceiling (= L. laquear).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1728. Noe … self festnid bath band and lace. Ibid., 8778. Quen al was purueid on þe place, And bunden samen balk and lace.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 283/1. Lace of an howserofe, laquearea.
1592. Nottingham Rec., IV. 235. Settinge in a lace to Posterne Bridge rayle.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 581. A man may … bestow them [beams] againe fast enough without laces to bind them.
5. Ornamental braid used for trimming men’s coats, etc.; † a trimming of this. Now only in gold lace, silver lace, a braid formerly made of gold or silver wire, now of silk or thread with a thin wrapping of gold or silver.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 239. Flatte golde of Dammaske with small lace myxed betwene of the same golde, and other laces of the same so goyng traverse wyse, that the grounde lytle appered.
1591. Greene, Disc. Coosnage, III. 36. The Tayler had … so much gold lace, beside spangles, as valued thirteene pound.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Peace, ii. Surely, thought I, This [a rainbow] is the lace of Peaces coat.
1634. Peacham, Gentl. Exerc., 135. Garters deepe fringed with gold lace.
1681. Dryden, Prol. to Univ. of Oxford, 16. Tack but a copper lace to drugget suit.
1702. Lond. Gaz., No. 3793/4. Mary Presbury … Gold and Silver Lace-seller.
1704. Swift, T. Tub, § 2. 67. So without more ado they got the largest Gold Lace in the Parish, and walkt about as fine as Lords.
1787. O’Keefe, Farmer, II. iii. But now a saucy Footman, I strut in worsted Lace.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, an. 1749. In a scarlet waistcoat, with rich gold lace, and a gold-lace hat.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Lace, the trimmings of uniforms.
† b. transf. A streak or band of color. Obs. rare–1. (Cf. LACE v. 6.)
1613. [see GUARD sb. 11 c].
6. A slender open-work fabric of linen, cotton, silk, woollen or metal threads, usually ornamented with inwrought or applied patterns. Often called after the place where it is manufactured, e.g., Brussels lace. For bobbin-, chain-, pillow-, point-, etc. lace, see the first member. Also BONE-LACE, BRIDE-LACE.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, I. v. 50. The men satte at home spinnyng, and woorkyng of Lace.
1613. (title) The King’s Edict prohibiting all his Subjects from using any Gold or Silver, either fine or counterfeit; all Embroiderie, and all Lace of Millan, or of Millan Fashion.
1715. Gay, Epist. Earl Burlington, 118. The busy town … Where finest lace industrious lasses weave.
1837. Goring, Microg., 208. Manufactured fabrics, such as lace, blond, muslin, [etc.].
transf. 1866. G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., xi. (1878), 211. In the shadows lay fine webs and laces of ice.
7. A ‘dash’ of spirits mixed with some beverage, esp. coffee. (Cf. LACE v.1 9 and LACED ppl. a.1 6.)
In quot. c. 1704 the meaning may be ‘sugar,’ as Johnson supposes. (Cf. quot. a. 1700 s.v. LACED ppl. a.1 6.)
c. 1704. Prior, Chameleon, 26. He drinks his coffee without lace.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 448, ¶ 1. He is forced every Morning to drink his Dish of Coffee by itself, without the Addition of the Spectator, that used to be better than Lace to it.
1755. Johnson, Lace, sugar. A cant word. [With quot. c. 1704.]
8. General comb.: a. simple attributive, as (sense 3 a) lace-hole, (sense 6) lace-curtain, -tracery, -trade, -work, -worker; lace-like adj. b. objective, as lace-buyer, -designer, -dresser, -maker, -making, -mender, -seller, -weaver. c. instrumental and parasynthetic, as lace-covered, -curtained, -edged, -loaded, -trimmed adjs.
1679. Lond. Gaz., No. 1391/4. Taken … from two *Lace-buyers … two Geldings.
1883. F. M. Crawford, Dr. Claudius, ii. A dainty *lace-covered parasol fell over the edge.
1891. C. T. C. James, Rom. Rigmarole, 128. Dainty, *lace-curtained windows.
1890. Daily News, 16 April, 2/4. Thomas Argyll,… *lace-designer.
1879. E. James, Ind. Househ. Man., 31. *Lace-edged antimacassars.
1871. Figure Training, 34. At the age of fourteen or thereabouts, the front rows of *lace-holes may be omitted.
1833. J. Rennie, Alph. Angling, 45. All the species of dragon-fly, with the exception of one or two, being characterised by very clear, *lace-like, pellucid wings.
1873. Lowell, Among my Bks., Ser. II. 125. Lacelike curves of ever-gaining, ever-receding foam.
1836. T. Hook, G. Gurney, iii. 86. The strapping, state-fed, *lace-loaded lacqueys of the Mansion-House.
1589. Rider, Eng.-Lat. Dict., A *Lace maker, fibularius.
1611. Cotgr., Passementier, a Lace-maker.
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., I. v. § 9. 100. Weavers and lacemakers.
1835–7. Southey, in Cowper’s Wks., I. 202. *Lace making was the business of the place.
1844. G. Dodd, Textile Manuf., vii. 227. *Lace-menders examine every piece, and mend, with needle and thread, every defect.
1702. Lond. Gaz., No. 3793/4. Gold and Silver *Laceseller.
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Miner’s Right, xliv. 185/1. A faint *lace-tracery of mist.
1819. Rees, Cycl., s.v. Lace, The *lace trade of Nottingham.
1894. Daily News, 5 June, 8/4. Scarves of crêpon with *lace-trimmed ends.
1715. Lond. Gaz., No. 5327/2. The Company of *Lace-Weavers at Augsburg.
1802. Brookes’ Gazetteer (ed. 12), s.v. Locle, Famous for watchmakers, laceweavers, goldsmiths.
1849. Alb. Smith, Pottleton Legacy, xxiv. 242. A white cravat the ends of which were in open *lace-work.
1873. Tristram, Moab, ix. 173. Numbers of stones with very pretty lacework of various patterns.
1896. Daily News, 1 Oct., 2/2. His sister, another *laceworker, is in charge of the family during their sojourn in London.
9. Special comb.: lace-bark (tree), (a) a West Indian shrub (Lagetta lintearia), so called from the lace-like layers of its inner bark; (b) in New Zealand, Plagianthus betulinus, ribbon-wood; lace-border, a geometrid moth (Acidalia ornata) with a broad lace-like border to the wings; lace-coral, a fossil polyzoan of the family Fenestellidæ; lace-fern, (a) a small elegant fern (Cheilanthes gracillima) having the under side of the frond covered with matted wool; (b) any of the several species of the genus Hymenophyllum; lace-frame (see FRAME sb. 13 b); lace-glass, Venetian glass with lace-like designs; † lace-head, a head-dress of lace; lace-leaf (plant), Ouvirandra fenestralis, of Madagascar; lace-lizard, an Australian lizard (Hydrosaurus varius); lace-man, a man who manufactures or deals in lace; lace-paper, paper cut or stamped in imitation of lace; lace-pigeon (see quots.); lace-pillow, the pillow or cushion that is laid on the lap of a woman engaged in making pillow-lace; lace-plant, ? = lace-leaf plant; lace-runner (see quot.); † lace-shade, a lace veil; lace-tree, ? = lace-bark tree; lace-wing (fly), a fly with delicate lace-like wings, esp. one of the genus Chrysopa; also lace-winged fly; lace-woman, a woman who works or deals in lace.
1756. P. Browne, Jamaica, 371. The Lagetto or *Lace-bark Tree. The bark is of a fine texture, very tough, and divides into a number of laminæ.
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 76. In Jamaica a species is found which is called the Lace Bark Tree.
1869. E. Newman, Brit. Moths, 79. The *Lace Border (Acidalia ornata).
1885. Lady Brassey, The Trades, 239. The *lace- or fringe-fern … grew in wild profusion.
1895. Daily News, 5 Dec., 6/1. Selling a couple of old *lace-frames to some Frenchmen for 200l. apiece.
1883. Mollett, Dict. Art, 156. There are six kinds of Venetian glass … (6) Reticulated, filigree, or *lace glass.
1884. Mag. of Art, Feb., 155/2. Briati … was especially celebrated … for his beautiful work in lace-glass.
1734. Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), I. 35. Shou’d a … Flanders *lace head … Gar thee grow forgetfu’.
1809. Edin. Rev., XV. 78. He will hear of lace-heads and ruffles.
1866. Treas. Bot. (1870), *Lace-leaf plant, Ouvirandra.
1880. J. Sibree, Jr. Gt. African Isl., iv. 100. This is the Lace-leaf plant, or water-yam; in scientific phraseology, Ouvirandra fenestralis.
1881. F. McCoy, Prodromus Nat. Hist. of Victoria, 4 Dec. (Morris). The present *Lace Lizard is generally arboreal.
1669. Pepys, Diary, 26 April. Calling at the *lace-man’s for some lace for my new suit.
1737. Fielding, Miser, V. vii. The laceman will be here immediately.
1896. Westm. Gaz., 5 Dec., 3/1. A laceman of a good many years’ standing.
1765. Treat. Dom. Pigeons, 143. The *Lace Pigeon…. They are valued on account of … the peculiarity of their feathers; the fibres, or web of which, appear disunited from each other throughout their whole plumage.
1859. Brent, Pigeon Bk., 54. The Lace or Silky Pigeon…. The fibres of the feathers are all disunited,… which gives them a lacy or silky appearance.
1793. Cowper, Lett., 9 Jan., in T. Wright, Life (1892), 260. The *lace pillow is the only thing they dandle.
1865. C. Knight, Passages Work. Life, III. x. 205. ‘Lace Songs’—the jingling rhymes sung by young girls while engaged at their lace-pillows.
1885. Lady Brassey, The Trades, 426. A plant … called the *‘lace-plant,’ from the extreme delicacy and beauty of its foliage.
1844. G. Dodd, Textile Manuf., vii. 225. The term embroidery does not seem to be much used in … the Nottingham lace-trade, most of those who work on net with the needle being termed *‘lace-runners.’
1803. Jane Porter, Thaddeus (1831), 275. Her *lace-shade … half veiled and half revealed her graceful figure.
1887. Moloney, Forestry W. Afr., 460. The public may … see in our stoves the rare *Lace tree of Jamaica.
1863. Wood, Nat. Hist., III. 491. The beautiful *Lace-wing Flies, or Hemerobiidæ…. Several species of the Lace-wings are also called … Golden Eyes.
1826. Kirby & Sp., Entomol., III. 94. The beautiful *lace-winged flies (Hemerobius).
1609. B. Jonson, Silent Wom., II. iii. Tailors, lineners, *lace-women, embroiderers.
1896. Daily News, 1 Oct., 2/2. She is a lacewoman in the Exhibition.
