a lace

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A thin string used to fasten shoes or clothing by being pulled through holes and tied.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a lace', 'two laces', 'the laces'.

   Patterns

   • tie your laces
   • a shoe lace
   • a lace on something

   One of my laces came undone during the race.

   He bought a new pair of laces for his boots.

   She tied a lace around the package to keep it closed.

2. 2noununcountable

   A fine decorative fabric with patterns of holes, made from thread.

   Grammar: Uncountable: you say 'a piece of lace' or 'some lace', not 'a lace' for the fabric.

   Patterns

   • a piece of lace
   • lace curtains
   • trimmed with lace

   The wedding dress was decorated with delicate lace.

   She bought some lace to sew onto the collar.

   The table was covered with a white lace cloth.

Word forms

Common combinations

tie your laces

He stopped to tie his laces before running.

shoe lace

The shoe lace broke, so he replaced it.

lace curtains

The living room had old-fashioned lace curtains.

a piece of lace

She cut a piece of lace to patch the dress.

Synonyms and how they differ

shoelace

Shoelace is the more common word for the string on a shoe; 'lace' is a shorter, slightly more formal or British variant.

string

String is a general word for any thin cord; 'lace' is specifically for fastening shoes or as a decorative fabric.

Word family

lacy adjective

Made of or looking like lace; decorated with lace.

lace verb

To fasten something with a lace or laces.

Commonly confused: a lace or laze?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a lace”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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