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

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

To be sure, the old standards of pumping iron and lacing up running shoes aren’t completely dead.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 19, 2025

He admits to targeting another summer or two as an England player, but doubts he will follow Anderson lacing up the boots into his fifth decade.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2025

Lux took two balls before lacing a 95-mph fastball from Dylan Cease into center field to score Edman for a 2-2 tie.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2024

Trying to interlace, like a clutched desperate prayer, but again, I feel like the hands I am lacing are not my own, like I have borrowed them from a twelve-fingered monster.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Related Words

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