braid

[breyd]

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verb (used with object)

to weave together strips or strands of; plait: to braid the hair.

to form by such weaving: to braid a rope.

to bind or confine (the hair) with a band, ribbon, etc.

to trim with braid, as a garment.

noun

a braided length or plait, especially of hair.

a hair style formed by interweaving three or more strands of hair.

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.

a band, ribbon, etc., for binding or confining the hair.

Nearby words

Origin of braid

before 950; Middle English braiden, breiden (v.), Old English bregdan to move quickly, move to and fro, weave; cognate with Old Norse bregtha, Dutch breien

Related formsbraid·er, nounwell-braid·ed, adjective

Can be confusedbraid brayed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for braid

Boys let me know they liked me, too, and I realized that I looked good, tall and slim, my long hair in a braid down my back.
My Vanished Liberia|Leymah Gbowee|October 7, 2011|DAILY BEAST
(9 p.m.) WEDNESDAY Braid Paisley and Carrie Underwood host the 42nd annual CMA Awards on ABC.
What to Watch on TV This Week|Nicole Ankowski|November 9, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Her skirt was without a braid and frayed, and two buttons were gone from the front of her waist.
Selina|George Madden Martin
Bernice deftly amputated the other braid, paused for an instant, and then flitted swiftly and silently back to her own room.
Flappers and Philosophers|F. Scott Fitzgerald

When the head is round, the hair should be formed in a braid in the middle of the back of the head.
How To Behave: A Pocket Manual Of Republican Etiquette, And Guide To Correct Personal Habits|Samuel R Wells
The cavity through the cover and cap allows the braid, with the weight attached, to pass through as fast as braided.
Self-Instructor in the Art of Hair Work|Mark Campbell
Her hair hung down her back in a braid, which gave a distinct touch of childishness to her.
Other Main-Travelled Roads|Hamlin Garland

British Dictionary definitions for braid

braid

verb (tr)

to interweave several strands of (hair, thread, etc); plait

to make by such weavingto braid a rope

to dress or bind (the hair) with a ribbon, etc

to decorate with an ornamental trim or borderto braid a skirt

noun

a length of hair, fabric, etc, that has been braided; plait

narrow ornamental tape of woven silk, wool, etc

Derived Formsbraider, noun

Word Origin for braid

Old English bregdan to move suddenly, weave together; compare Old Norse bregtha, Old High German brettan to draw a sword

adjective

broad

adverb

broadly; frankly

Word Origin for braid

Scot variant of broad

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for braid

braid

"to plait, knit, weave, twist together," c.1200, breidan, from Old English bregdan "to move quickly, pull, shake, swing, throw (in wrestling), draw (a sword); bend, weave, knit, join together; change color, vary; scheme, feign, pretend" (class III strong verb, past tense brægd, past participle brogden), from Proto-Germanic *bregthan "make sudden jerky movements from side to side" (cf. Old Norse bregða "to brandish, turn about, braid;" Old Saxon bregdan "to weave;" Dutch breien "to knit;" Old High German brettan "to draw, weave, braid"), from PIE root *bherek- "to gleam, flash" (cf. Sanskrit bhrasate "flames, blazes, shines"). In English the verb survives only in the narrow definition of "plait hair." Related: Braided; braiding.

braid

in part from stem found in Old English gebrægd "craft, fraud," gebregd "commotion," Old Norse bragð "deed, trick," and in part from or influenced by related braid (v.). Earliest senses are "a deceit, stratagem, trick" (c.1200), "sudden or quick movement" (c.1300); meaning "anything plaited or entwined" (especially hair) is from 1520s.

braid

verb (used with object)

noun

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Origin of braid

Examples from the Web for braid

braid

verb (tr)

noun

Word Origin for braid

adjective

adverb

Word Origin for braid

braid

braid