INTRICATE

intricate

(adjective) having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate; “intricate lacework”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Adjective

intricate (comparative more intricate, superlative most intricate)

Having a great deal of fine detail or complexity.

Etymology 2

As the adjective; or by analogy with extricate

Verb

intricate (third-person singular simple present intricates, present participle intricating, simple past and past participle intricated)

(intransitive) To become enmeshed or entangled.

(transitive) To enmesh or entangle: to cause to intricate.

Anagrams

• acitretin, triacetin, triactine

Source: Wiktionary

In"tri*cate, a. Etym: [L. intricatus, p. p. of intricare to entangle, perplex. Cf. Intrigue, Extricate.]

Definition: Entangled; involved; perplexed; complicated; difficult to understand, follow, arrange, or adjust; as, intricate machinery, labyrinths, accounts, plots, etc. His style was fit to convey the most intricate business to the understanding with the utmost clearness. Addison. The nature of man is intricate. Burke.

Syn.

– Intricate, Complex, Complicated. A thing is complex when it is made up of parts; it is complicated when those parts are so many, or so arranged, as to make it difficult to grasp them; it is intricate when it has numerous windings and confused involutions which it is hard to follow out. What is complex must be resolved into its parts; what is complicated must be drawn out and developed; what is intricate must be unraveled.

In"tri*cate, v. t.

Definition: To entangle; to involve; to make perplexing. [Obs.] It makes men troublesome, and intricates all wise discourses. Jer. Taylor.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition