lacing
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A beating. From the phrase, "I’ll lace your jacket."—L’Estrange. Perhaps to give a beating with a lace or lash. Perhaps, also, a figurative phrase for ornamenting the article in question with stripes.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “lacing” mean?
A beating. From the phrase, "I’ll lace your jacket."—L’Estrange. Perhaps to give a beating with a lace or lash. Perhaps, also, a figurative phrase for ornamenting the article in question with stripes.
Is “lacing” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.