plait

American  

[pleyt, plat] / pleɪt, plæt /

noun

1. a braid, especially of hair or straw.

2. a pleat or fold, as of cloth.

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verb (used with object)

1. to braid, as hair or straw.

2. to make, as a mat, by braiding.

3. to pleat.

plait British  

/ plæt /

noun

1. a length of hair, ribbon, etc, that has been plaited

2. (in Britain) a loaf of bread of several twisting or intertwining parts

3. a rare spelling of pleat

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verb

1. (tr) to intertwine (strands or strips) in a pattern

Other Word Forms

• interplait verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of plait

1350–1400; Middle English pleyt < Middle French pleit < Latin plicitum, neuter of plicitus, past participle of plicāre to fold; ply ²

Example Sentences

Beside him is a woman in a long flowery-patterned dress, tightly tied-up plaits crossed over her head and a face that looks to be held in place almost as tightly as her hair.

From Literature

Her brown hair was parted down the middle and plaited into two French braids.

From Literature

As my panting subsided, I could make out the faint texture of the woven walls around me and smell the still-fresh scent of the green fronds from which they were plaited.

From Literature

Her gray hair was wrapped in a great plait at the base of her neck.

From Literature

The younger one, with a deep-brown tone like Jackson and plaited pigtails, grinned half a mouth of teeth and clutched a small furry thing in her hands.

From Literature