lace curtain
3
4.1
- noun
- /leɪs ˈkɜːrtən/
:
cortina de encaje
- The windows were partially open, and the flowered lace curtains moved in the breeze.
- windows with lace curtains
- white lace curtains
- old lace curtains
Examples
-
Sun spilled through the lace curtains, making a goldfish pattern upon the floor.
Fiction book (1997) -
Yellow lace curtains covered the windows, which looked out on the grassy back lawn and the woods.
Fiction book (1998) -
The white lace curtains of the window were still as stone.
Fiction book (2001) -
I think by Wednesday, you could hang the lace curtains upstairs.
-
His was the only house in the terrace without lace curtains.
Fiction book (1996) -
The sun came in on her face, diffused by the lace curtains.
Fiction book (1992) -
In the room that she'd turned into her office, a soft breeze billowed the white lace curtains.
Fiction book (1997) -
Arlo saw the shadowy figure through the lace curtains on the door.
Fiction book (2001) -
White lace curtains framed by red velvet drapes adorn the windows along two sides.
Academic text (1992) -
The sun was low in the sky and amber light filtered through lace curtains.
Synonyms
312
1.0
A piece of hanging cloth used to cover a window
1
2.8
Thin curtain with small holes that lets light in but stops people outside from seeing in
A short thin curtain that hangs partway up a window to let in light and give privacy
How Sheer
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'lace' names the material and 'curtain' the object, so 'a curtain made of lace (thin/decorative)' follows from the constituents. This material + object noun compound is a common, transparent pattern cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Lace curtain is a name for a thin window covering made from pretty lace used as a curtain; such curtains let sunlight in but make it hard to see inside. That's why it means a thin, decorative window covering that gives 'privacy' while still 'letting in light'.