intricate

adjective

1. 1

   Having a great deal of fine detail or complexity.

   The architecture of this clock is very intricate.

   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.”

   It is next argued that the discretion must be exercised in a reasonable manner and that the question whether a will was in fact executed or not would seldom be an intricate question and was not so in this case.

   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.

2. 2

   archaicDifficult to disentangle, puzzle apart, or resolve; enigmatic, obscure.

   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.

   His style of writing […] was […]fit to convey the most intricate business to the understanding […]with the utmost clearness.

verb

1. 1

   To become enmeshed or entangled.

   […] washes off easily, without sticking or intricating into the wound.

2. 2

   To enmesh or entangle: to cause to intricate.

   But the British and French won't hear of that; they want to get their troops extricated and our ground troops intricated.

Forms

comparative

more intricate

superlative

most intricate

past tense

intricated

past participle

intricated

present participle

intricating

third person singular

intricates