interlace

[ in-ter-leys, in-ter-leys ]

verb (used without object)

, in·ter·laced, in·ter·lac·ing.

1. to cross one another, typically passing alternately over and under, as if woven together; intertwine:

   Their hands interlaced.

verb (used with object)

, in·ter·laced, in·ter·lac·ing.

1. to unite or arrange (threads, strips, parts, branches, etc.) so as to intercross one another, passing alternately over and under; intertwine.
2. to mingle; blend.
3. to diversify, as with threads woven in.
4. to intersperse; intermingle:

   She interlaced her lecture on Schubert with some of his songs.

interlace

/ ˌɪntəˈleɪs; ˌɪntəˈleɪsɪdlɪ /

verb

1. to join together (patterns, fingers, etc) by crossing, as if woven; intertwine
2. tr to mingle or blend in an intricate way
3. trusually foll bywith to change the pattern of; diversify; intersperse

   to interlace a speech with humour

Derived Forms

• interlacedly, adverb
• ˌinterˈlacement, noun

Other Words From

• in·ter·lac·ed·ly [in-ter-, ley, -sid-lee], adverb
• inter·lacement noun
• unin·ter·laced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of interlace¹

1325–75; inter- + lace; replacing Middle English entrelacen < Middle French en-trelacer

Example Sentences

While some propaganda is mendacious, the most effective propaganda will interlace carefully selected verifiable facts with emotional appeals.

From Salon

Plaid, checked and polka-dotted textiles sewn into zigzagging, overlapped “Reconstructions” shook up the usual interlace produced by a conventional textile loom.

From Los Angeles Times

That vertical and horizontal interlace — a grid — had been a fundamental structure for Modern abstraction, which was being entirely rethought after the 1960s.

From Los Angeles Times

Most years, the Tule River serves as a crucial irrigation line, ferrying Sierra snowmelt to the man-made channels and ditches that interlace the valley floor, redirecting the area’s major rivers with a strategic precision that has enabled landowners to transform these arid lowlands into an agricultural heartland.

From Los Angeles Times

I reach for Michael's hand and interlace our fingers.

From Salon

Related Words

• interweave