pleat

American  

[pleet] / plit /

noun

1. a fold of definite, even width made by doubling cloth or the like upon itself and pressing or stitching it in place.

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verb (used with object)

1. to fold or arrange in pleats.

pleat British  

/ pliːt /

noun

1. any of various types of fold formed by doubling back fabric and pressing, stitching, or steaming into place See also box pleat inverted pleat kick pleat knife pleat sunburst pleats

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verb

1. (tr) to arrange (material, part of a garment, etc) in pleats

Other Word Forms

• pleater noun
• pleatless adjective
• unpleated adjective

Etymology

Origin of pleat

1325–75; Middle English; variant of plait

Example Sentences

Her grandmother had sewn the dress — white with a careful trim, pleats and a wide-pressed collar.

From Los Angeles Times

Gehry’s first skyscraper, 8 Spruce, reimagined the Manhattan high-rise as a kind of gleaming, pleated fabric, its shifted stainless steel panels rippling downward, catching daylight in a constantly shifting display.

From Los Angeles Times

The night before my first day of work at NACA, I touched up my navy-blue tweed pleated skirt and jacket and checked my stockings to make sure they didn’t have any runs.

From Literature

If a pleated edge feels above your pastry pay grade, simply fold the edge of the dough over the filling.

From The Wall Street Journal

The museum is clad in gray precast concrete panels, slightly angled from the wall in a way that suggests pleating.

From The Wall Street Journal