intricate
English
[edit]Etymology 1
[edit]From Latin intricatus, past participle of intricare.
Pronunciation
[edit]Adjective
[edit]intricate (comparative more intricate, superlative most intricate)
- Having a great deal of fine detail or complexity.
- The architecture of this clock is very intricate.
- 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter V, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
- As a matter of fact its narrow ornate façade presented not a single quiet space that the eyes might rest on after a tiring attempt to follow and codify the arabesques, foliations, and intricate vermiculations of what some disrespectfully dubbed as “near-aissance.”
- 1950 March, H. A. Vallance, “On Foot Across the Forth Bridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 149:
- From this point of vantage, we were able to gain an impression of the massive outlines of the main structure, and its intricate maze of girders.
- (archaic) Difficult to disentangle, puzzle apart, or resolve; enigmatic, obscure.
- 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:
- The Ways of Heav’n are dark and intricate,
Puzzled in Mazes, and perplext with Errors;
Our Underſtanding traces ’em in vain,
Loſt and bewilder’d in the fruitleſs Search;
Nor ſees with how much Art the Windings run,
Nor where the regular Confuſion ends.
- 1715 May 15 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 39. Wednesday, May 4. [1715.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC:
- His style of writing […] was […] fit to convey the most intricate business to the understanding […] with the utmost clearness.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]having a great deal of fine detail or complexity
Etymology 2
[edit]As the adjective; or by analogy with extricate.
Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /ˈɪn.tɹɪ.keɪt/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Verb
[edit]intricate (third-person singular simple present intricates, present participle intricating, simple past and past participle intricated)
- (intransitive) To become enmeshed or entangled.
- 1864 October 18, J.E. Freund, “How to Avoid the Use of Lint”, letter to the editor, in The New York Times (1864 October 23):
- […] washes off easily, without sticking or intricating into the wound.
- 1864 October 18, J.E. Freund, “How to Avoid the Use of Lint”, letter to the editor, in The New York Times (1864 October 23):
- (transitive) To enmesh or entangle: to cause to intricate.
- 1994 December 12, William Safire, “Avoid Dunkirk II” (essay), in The New York Times:
- But the British and French won't hear of that; they want to get their troops extricated and our ground troops intricated.
- 1994 December 12, William Safire, “Avoid Dunkirk II” (essay), in The New York Times:
Antonyms
[edit]References
[edit]- “intricate”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams
[edit]Italian
[edit]Adjective
[edit]intricate f pl
Verb
[edit]intricate
- inflection of intricare:
Anagrams
[edit]Latin
[edit]Verb
[edit]intrīcāte
Spanish
[edit]Verb
[edit]intricate
- second-person singular voseo imperative of intricar combined with te
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- English verbs
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