intricate

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English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Latin intricatus, past participle of intricare.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈɪn.tɹɪ.kət/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)

Adjective[edit]

intricate (comparative more intricate, superlative most intricate)

  1. Having a great deal of fine detail or complexity.
    The architecture of this clock is very intricate.
    • 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.
    • 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.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

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)

  1. (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.
  2. (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.
Antonyms[edit]

References[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Italian[edit]

Adjective[edit]

intricate f pl

  1. feminine plural of intricato

Verb[edit]

intricate

  1. inflection of intricare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative
    3. feminine plural past participle

Anagrams[edit]

Latin[edit]

Verb[edit]

intrīcāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of intrīcō

Spanish[edit]

Verb[edit]

intricate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of intricar combined with te
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