vbl. sb. The action or process of lacing tightly; spec. the practice of wearing tightly laced stays in order to reduce or preserve the form of the waist.

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1834.  Tait’s Mag., I. 101/2. The demon of tight-lacing is still in existence.

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1871.  Figure Training, 47. My two daughters … can bear me out in my favourable opinion of tight-lacing, and their good health speaks volumes in its praise.

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1897.  Allbutt’s Syst. Med., IV. 343. Cruveilhier long ago pointed out the influence of tight lacing as a cause of displacement [of the kidney].

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  Hence Tight-lace v. (back-formation) trans., to lace tightly, to compress (the waist) by wearing tightly laced stays; also refl. and absol.; so Tight-lace attrib. phr., affected by tight-lacing; Tight-lacer, one who practises tight-lacing.

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1859.  Habits of Gd. Society, 172. It is often difficult to convince the practised tight-lacer; for vanity is generally obstinate.

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1880.  trans. Ziemssen’s Cycl. Med., IX. 40. In slight grades of the so called ‘tight-lace liver’ only a shallow transverse furrow is observable.

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1897.  Allbutt’s Syst. Med., IV. 343. The tight-lace line on the liver is on the same level as the upper pole of the kidney.

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1898.  Daily News, 19 Jan., 9/2. She told me that she tight-laced herself to present a good figure in the shop.

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1907.  Daily Chron., 14 Sept., 5/7. The majority of tight lacers develop thick unshapely legs sooner or later.

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