lacing

American  

[ley-sing] / ˈleɪ sɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that laces.

2. a trimming of lace or braid.

3. a beating or thrashing.

4. a small amount of alcoholic liquor or any other substance added to food or drink.

5. a lace used for fastening, as in a shoe or corset.

6. Building Trades, Engineering. any member or members, as a batten plate or steel bars, uniting the angles or flanges of a composite girder, column, or strut.

7. Also called lacing course.  Masonry.

   1. a course of brick in a wall of rubble.

   2. a bond course in a rowlock arch.

8. Nautical. any light line for fastening a sail, awning, or other cloth.

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lacing British  

/ ˈleɪsɪŋ /

noun

1. a course of bricks, stone, etc, for strengthening a rubble or flint wall

2. another word for lace lace

3. informal a severe beating (esp in the phrase give someone a lacing )

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Etymology

Origin of lacing

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at lace, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Ilkay Gundogan executed his effort with perfection, lacing a ferocious, dipping strike into David de Gea's top corner, the Manchester United stopper only able to watch it fly in.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

“Not a star, just another has-been, lacing up his sneakers in an empty gym on a Wednesday night.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

It also feels like a moment — to use a sports metaphor, which I’m not an athlete — that you’re lacing up your shoes.

From Salon • Sep. 13, 2025

Then, Smith came through again in the ninth, lacing a go-ahead, two-out RBI double off the wall in left that scored pinch-runner James Outman all the way from first base.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2025

He takes my hands, lacing his fingers with mine, and says, “The faction that controls the government. Yes.”

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• beating
• blow
• breakdown
• collapse
• debacle
• destruction
• drubbing
• embarrassment
• failure
• killing
• loss
• massacre
• rout
• setback
• thrashing
• triumph