bootlace

[ boot-leys ]

/ ˈbutˌleɪs /

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noun

a long, strong lace used to fasten a boot.

British. a shoelace.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bootlace

First recorded in 1930–35; boot¹ + lace

Words nearby bootlace

boot hook, Boothroyd, bootie, booting, bootjack, bootlace, bootlace fungus, bootlace worm, Bootle, bootleg, bootlegged

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bootlace in a sentence

Near the great skull her right bootlace, getting loose, nearly tripped her.
The Beach of Dreams|H. De Vere Stacpoole
Yes, my young friend, when I stooped to tie up that bootlace of mine I was inspecting feet.
The Riddle of the Mysterious Light|Mary E. Hanshew
The tie they prefer is a black bootlace; if not, it is bound to be of the most tasteless colour and pattern you can think of.
Town Life in Australia|R. E. N. (Richard) Twopeny
And she bent down—to pick up the coin, to fumble at her bootlace, and to cover her furious blush.
The Grey Wig: Stories and Novelettes|Israel Zangwill

Can't Reggie and I capture the bootlace man and stick red-hot needles into him till he confesses?
A Traitor's Wooing|Headon Hill

British Dictionary definitions for bootlace

bootlace

/ (ˈbuːtˌleɪs) /

noun

a strong lace for fastening a boot

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012