braid
Americanverb (used with object)
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braids,
present (3rd person singular)
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braided,
past participle, past
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braiding
present participle
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to weave together strips or strands of; plait.
to braid the hair.
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to form by such weaving.
to braid a rope.
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to bind or confine (the hair) with a band, ribbon, etc.
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to trim with braid, as a garment.
noun
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braids
plural
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a braided length or plait, especially of hair.
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a hairstyle formed by interweaving three or more strands of hair.
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a narrow, ropelike band formed by plaiting or weaving together several strands of silk, cotton, or other material, used as trimming for garments, drapery, etc.
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a band, ribbon, etc., for binding or confining the hair.
verb
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to interweave several strands of (hair, thread, etc); plait
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to make by such weaving
to braid a rope
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to dress or bind (the hair) with a ribbon, etc
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to decorate with an ornamental trim or border
to braid a skirt
noun
-
a length of hair, fabric, etc, that has been braided; plait
-
narrow ornamental tape of woven silk, wool, etc
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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braidsimple
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braidssimple
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have braidedperfect
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has braidedperfect
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am braidingprogressive
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are braidingprogressive
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is braidingprogressive
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have been braidingperfect progressive
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has been braidingperfect progressive
Past
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braidedsimple
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had braidedperfect
-
was braidingprogressive
-
were braidingprogressive
-
had been braidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of braid
First recorded before 950; Middle English braiden, breiden (verb), Old English bregdan “to move quickly, move to and fro, weave”; cognate with Old Norse bregtha, Dutch breien
Explanation
To braid is to lace or weave together. Hair that has been done this way is in braids. Have you ever seen someone with their hair bound together in thick, rope-like arrangements? That hairdo is called braids. Women often braid each other's hair or get it braided by a hairdresser. The longer your hair, the longer your potential braids. To braid hair, you have to weave the strands of hair together: this is also called plaiting, lacing, and interlacing. Other materials can be braided, but the most popular thing to braid is definitely hair.
Vocabulary lists containing braid
Shear Genius: Hairy Vocabulary
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List 1
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Buffalo Dreamer
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
From Ossoff, he learned how to braid in being an intellectual and polished orator, how debate-club tactics can work as long as you eschew the tie and show an inch of clavicle.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
In the middle of all this activity stands Noah, a red-cheeked, curly-haired little boy with nothing to braid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
What follows the tarp is a lovely narrative braid.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
Even if they started out reticent, the fathers became active participants, asking questions about creating a neat French braid, what to do about tangled ponytails and how to deal with frightened children, Lin said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Her fingers twirled in her hair around the base of her braid.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Approaching audience members to explore their own feelings about their hair, she receives with surprised saucer eyes encouragement to embrace the braids she has.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
"When I've had my braids when I was younger, people would come up to me all the time and ask and I'd be writing the phone numbers down."
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
As police searched for the Tesla, they relayed details over the radio: The suspect’s hair was in braids; she wore a cream-colored blouse; her car was dirty on the bottom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2026
In New York, lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require manufacturers of synthetic braids and hair extensions to disclose all ingredients.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 19, 2026
He’s wearing his same navy bandana and still has his black hair in neat braids.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
They tend to be little, plump, tucked in, braided or rolled up; they have the proportions of toys.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
The few hundred in attendance spanned the full spectrum of AfD voters: young men in black bomber jackets and Lonsdale sweaters, elderly couples, barefooted hippies with braided beards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
In Ancient Egypt, pharaohs and noblewomen wore embellished braided wigs to show power, and in the Middle Ages, women's long hair became associated with femininity and virtue.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
The wider public discovered Monroe, sporting long braided hair, in a TV talent show dedicated to young classical music virtuosos.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
I wished I’d braided it before I left home.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Deep in a braiding craze, the children can’t resist braiding everything in sight: hair, shoelaces, even the tails of the classroom’s toy ponies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
With a few snips of her scissors, a plain whiteboard rag transforms into three strips of cloth perfect for braiding.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The focal point of the installation, which hangs on a wall above the couch, is a large portrait of Chandler’s mother braiding her hair as she’s done since she was a little girl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2025
There’s a kind of dialectic, dual track of braiding of hope and futility that runs all the way through the book.
From Salon ● May 28, 2025
Jack glanced at the fairy in May’s hair, who had started braiding a few of the princess’s hairs together, humming softly to herself as she did so.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
