▪ I. intricate, a. (n.)
(ˈɪntrɪkət)
(In 5 interkat.)
[ad. L. intrīcāt-us, pa. pple. of intrīcāre to entangle, perplex, embarrass, f. in- (in-2) + trīcæ trifles, toys, quirks, tricks, perplexities, trīcārī to raise difficulties, play tricks.]
1. Perplexingly entangled or involved; interwinding in a complicated manner.
| 1579 E. K. Ded. Spenser's Sheph. Cal., The words them selues being so auncient, the knitting of them so short and intricate. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 569 The wonderful intricat winding of the serpents, clasping and knitting them about. 1632 Lithgow Trav. v. 190 Wrestling amongst intricate paths of Rockes: two..broke their neckes. a 1667 Cowley Wish Wks. 1711 III. 43 Tho' he sit upon the Place of Judgment with a learned Face Intricate as the Law. 1703 Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1732) 79 From this place you proceed in an intricate way amongst Hills and Valleys. 1822 Scott Nigel iii, At the end of one of those intricate and narrow lanes. 1892 Stevenson Across the Plains 1 Mount St. Helena..looks down on much green intricate country. |
b. Entomol. Of markings; see quot.
| 1826 Kirby & Sp. Entomol. IV. 274 Intricate. When depressions or elevations so run into each other as to be difficult to trace. |
2. Of thoughts, conceptions, statements, etc.: Perplexingly involved or complicated in meaning; entangled; obscure.
| c 1470 Henryson Fables xii. (Wolff and Lamb) 121 (Bannatyne MS.) O man of law lat be thy sutelte, With wys jympis, and frawdis interkat. 1529 More Dyaloge i. Pref. A j b/1 Fyndyng oure treatye so dyuerse and so long, and sume tyme such wyse intrycate that my self could not wythout labour call it orderly to mind. 1599 Life More in Wordsw. Eccl. Biog. (1853) II. 52 Now is the common-lawe of this realme so intricate..as it would requier a whole and entire man, all his life tyme..to come to anye excellencie therein. 1683 Chalkhill Thealma & Cl. 95 He..could clear The doubts that puzzle the strong working brain, And make the intricat'st anigmas plain. 1719 Young Revenge ii. i, Give me your maze Of gloomy thought, and intricate design. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vi. II. 25 According to the intricate and subtle rule which was then in force. |
† 3. = intricated. Const. with, in. Obs.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (1531) 58 Be thou neuer..intricate, busyed or troubled in the defautes or offences of other. 1528 Roy Rede Me (Arb.) 91 They kepe none of all the thre [vows] With mundane affections intricate. |
† B. n. Something intricate; an intricacy. Obs.
| 1655 W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. i. 127 Satan labours to puzzle the Christian with nice questions, that meeting with such intricates in his Christian course..he may be made, either to give over, or go on heavily. |
▪ II. intricate, v. Now rare.
(ˈɪntrɪkeɪt)
Also 6 en-.
[f. L. intrīcāt-, ppl. stem of intrīcāre to entangle: see prec. Cf. entrike.]
1. trans. To render intricate; to make (a thing) involved or obscure; to complicate.
| 1564 Brief Exam. A ij, Such [questions] as be intricated with great controuersies amongest godly men. 1624 Heywood Gunaik. iv. 168 This Labyrinth..being a house so intricated with windings and turnings this way and that way. 1649 Bp. Hall Cases Consc. vi. (1654) 45 How ever the matter may be intricated by passing through many perhaps unknowing hands. 1671 R. Bohun Wind 278 Woods, thus [with wonderful entanglings] rent asunder and intricated. 1688 Vox Cleri Pro Rege 43 Why does he..labour to perplex and intricate the meaning of Dr. Sherlock's plain Words? c 1748 Voltaire in W. Bayne James Thomson ix. (1898) 150 Mr. Thomson's tragedies seem to me wisely intricated and elegantly writ. 1900 Dundee Advertiser 8 June 4 It so intricated peace desires with war menaces as to begin the campaign on a scale of disastrous military inefficiency. |
2. To entangle or ensnare (an animal or person); to involve in toils; to embarrass, perplex.
| 1548 Act 2 & 3 Edw. VI, c. 21 § 1 They myght..be lesse entricated and troubled withe the Chardge of householde. 1566 Painter Pal. Pleas. (Marsh) I. 189, I am so intricated in the Labarinthe of my unbrideled will. 1579 Fenton Guicciard. v. (1599) 227 The Frenchmen beginning to intricate and intangle themselues, fell to flying. 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. iii. Ad Sect. xvi. 134 Like wilde beasts intricating themselves by their impatience. a 1734 North Exam. (1740) 57 This speculum of his own ignorance..did so intricate and embarrass his understanding. |
Hence ˈintricated ppl. a., entangled, involved in toils; ˈintricating vbl. n., entanglement.
| 1565–73 Cooper Thesaurus, Contortulus,..wrested, wrethed, intricated, conclused. 1628 Donne Serm. cxxxiv. V. 407 Intricated entangled conscience! 1632 Lithgow Trav. ii. 66, I left the turmoyling dangers of the intricated Iles of the Ionean and Adriaticall seas. 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. ii. Disc. ix. §22. 117 To the intricating of the judgement, to the dishonour of Religion. 1798 Pennant Hindoostan II. 340 The various great rivers which form so many intricated windings. |