lacerate
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string, thread, lace etc, through holes in (something): I always have trouble lacing these football boots. 3 [(with)] to add a small amount of something strong to (a drink): coffee laced with brandy | She laced her husband's bedtime drink with poison.
lace into sbdy. phr v [T] infml rare to attack physically or with words
la-ce-rate /'læsəreɪt/ v [T] to tear or roughly cut (skin, part of the body etc) as with fingernails or broken glass: (fig.) Nothing could soothe her lacerated (=hurt) feelings. —ration /ˌlæsə'reɪʃən/ n [C;U] He was thrown through the window, and received severe lacerations of/to the face and chest.
'lace-up n [usually pl] especially BrE a shoe or boot that is fastened with laces. They are usually thought of as sensible and unexciting: My mother would only let me wear lace-ups to school.
lace-work /'leɪswɜːk||-wɜːrk/ n [U] lace, or something that looks like lace
lach-ry-mal /'lækrɪməl/ adj tech of tears or the part of the body (lachrymal gland) that produces them
lach-ry-mose /'lækrɪməʊs/ adj fml 1 often crying; TEAR-FUL 2 often derog tending to cause tears; sad: lachrymose poetry
lack¹ /læk/ v [T] 1 to be without; not have, or not have enough of (especially something needed or wanted): The female bird lacks the male's bright coloration. | He's good at his job but he seems to lack confidence. | What the company lacks is sufficient money to invest in new products. → see also LACKING 2 lack for nothing to have everything one needs
USAGE Compare lack and be short of. Both can mean 'not to have enough of something' but lack (or commonly be lacking in) is used especially with abstract nouns: The teacher said that the child lacked/was lacking in confidence. Be short of is more common than lack when talking about objects and materials: We're short of sugar/apples. (Lack would be very formal in sentences like these.)
lack² n [S;(U)of] the state of not having (enough of) something: The plants died through/for lack of water. | There's a certain lack of enthusiasm for these changes among the membership.
lack-a-dai-si-cal /ˌlækə'deɪzɪkəl/ adj derog not showing (enough) interest or effort; lazy: She has a rather lackadaisical approach to her work. —ly /kli/ adv
lack-ey /'læki/ n derog a person who behaves like a servant by always obeying
lack-ing /'lækɪŋ/ adj [F] 1 not present; missing: We can't confirm these rumours because accurate information is lacking. | I was happy as a child, but there was something lacking (in my life). 2 [+in] without the usual or needed amount of (a quality, skill etc): I'm afraid he's somewhat lacking in intelligence/tact/initiative.
lack-lus-tre BrE || -ter AmE /'lækˌlʌstər/ adj derog unexciting; dull: a lacklustre speech/performance
la-con-ic /lə'kɒnɪk||-'kɑː-/ adj fml using few words: a laconic way of speaking —ally /kli/ adv: 'Wait and see!' he replied laconically.
lac-quer¹ /'lækər/ n [U] a transparent or coloured substance used for forming a hard shiny surface on metal or wood, or for making hair stay in place
lacquer² v [T] to cover with lacquer
la-crosse /lə'krɒs||ə'krɔːs/ n [U] a game played on a field by two teams, each player having a long stick with a net at the end to throw, catch, and carry a small hard ball
CULTURAL NOTE In Britain many people think of lacrosse as being played only by girls at private schools.
lac-ta-tion /læk'teɪʃən/ n [U] tech 1 the production of milk for babies by a human or animal mother 2 the time that this lasts
lac-tic /'læktɪk/ adj tech of or obtained from milk
lactic 'acid n [U] an acid found in sour milk
lac-tose /'læktəʊs/ n [U] a sugary substance found in milk, sometimes used as a food for babies and sick people
la-cu-na /lə'kjuːnə||-'kuː-/ n pl. -nae /niː/ or -nas fml an empty space where something is missing, especially in a piece of writing
lac-y /'leɪsi/ adj of or like LACE
lad /læd/ n 1 especially BrE infml a boy or young man: He's just a lad. | It's my eldest lad's (=son's) birthday today. 2 BrE infml a playfully rude man: Ron's a (bit of a) lad isn't he? He flirts with all the girls. 3 a STABLE BOY: the head lad → compare LASS; see also LADS, JACK THE LAD
La-da /'lɑːdə/ trademark a MAKE (=type) of Russian car that used to be sold in the UK
CULTURAL NOTE Ladas used to be much less expensive than most other cars, and people in Britain often made jokes about them because they were thought to be slow and old-fashioned, and not very high quality.
Lad-brokes /'lædbruks/ trademark a company that operates BETTING SHOPS all over the UK
Ladd, Al-an /'læd, 'ælən/ (1919–1964) a US film actor who played important parts in many WESTERNS. His most famous part was as Shane (1953), a gentle but effective GUNFIGHTER who helps a group of farmers. Ladd was not very tall and film tricks were used to make him look taller.
lad-der¹ /'lædə/ n 1 a structure consisting of two bars or ropes joined to each other by RUNGS (=steps), and used for climbing, e.g. up the side of a building or ship: He was standing on a ladder picking apples. | (fig.) She's working hard to try to get up the promotion ladder.
CULTURAL NOTE Some people believe the old SUPERSTITION that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder that is leaning against a wall.
2 BrE || run AmE a long thin upright fault in STOCKINGS etc, caused by stitches coming undone 3 (in sports such as SQUASH and TABLE TENNIS) a list of players who play each other regularly in order to decide who is best. A winner goes up the list; a loser goes down.
ladder² v [I;T] BrE to develop or cause (TIGHTS etc) to develop a ladder: My tights laddered/I laddered my tights on a nail.
lad-die, -dy /'lædi/ n infml, especially ScotE a boy; lad
lad-dish /'lædɪʃ/ adj BrE (of a young man) spending a lot of time with other young men, drinking alcohol, and mainly interested in things like sport, sex, and music → compare LAD
lad-dis-m /'lædɪzəm/ n [U] BrE the attitudes and behaviour of some young men in Britain, who drink a lot of alcohol, and are mainly interested in sport, sex, and music: the culture of laddism
la-den /'leɪdn/ adj [(with)] (heavily) loaded: the heavily laden ship | The lorry was fully laden. | The bushes were laden with fruit. | (fig., lit) He was laden (=deeply troubled) with sorrow.
la-di-da, lah-di-dah /ˌlɑː di ˈdɑː/ adj infml derog pretending to be in a higher social position than one actually is in, by using unnaturally delicate manners, ways of speaking etc: She/her voice/her manner is a bit too la-di-da for my liking.
la-dies /'leɪdiz/ BrE || 'ladies room AmE — n a women's TOILET → compare GENTS; see TOILET (USAGE)
'Ladies' Day n [U] the second day of the four-day horse racing event which takes place every June at Ascot in Berkshire, England. Many women who go to it like to wear large and unusual hats, and the newspapers always show photographs of them on the next day.
'ladies' man n a man who likes to spend his time with women, and is (sexually) attractive to them
la-dies-wear /'leɪdizwɛər/ n [U] women's clothing; a word used on signs or in departments in shops
la-ding /'leɪdɪŋ/ n [C;U] → see BILL OF LADING
la-dle¹ /'leɪdl/ n a large deep spoon with a long handle, used especially for lifting liquids out of a container: a soup ladle
ladle² v [T(OUT into)] to serve (food, soup etc), especially with a ladle
ladle sthg. ↔ out phr v [T] infml, usually derog to give out in large amounts and usually without careful judgment: He ladles out compliments to everyone, but he's not really sincere.
'lad mag n a type of magazine that is intended for young