braid

[ breyd ]
See synonyms for: braidbraidedbraids on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to weave together strips or strands of; plait: to braid the hair.

  2. to form by such weaving: to braid a rope.

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

  2. to trim with braid, as a garment.

noun
  1. a braided length or plait, especially of hair.

  2. a hairstyle formed by interweaving three or more strands of hair.

  1. 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.

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

Origin of braid

1
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

Other words from braid

  • braider, noun
  • well-braided, adjective

Words that may be confused with braid

Words Nearby braid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use braid in a sentence

  • 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 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • E.J. Montoya, 16, has the well-muscled shoulders of a football player and a glossy, black braid down his back.

    A Teen's Third-World America | Eliza Griswold | December 26, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • There were more snubs than you could shake your DNA-sharing braid at.

    Best of the Golden Globes | Choire Sicha | January 17, 2010 | THE 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 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Her hair had fallen from its pins and hung in a braid, its length concealed by her position, and making the effect of a queue.

    Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
  • I want a spool of red silk, two pieces of crimson dress braid, and a spool of fifty cotton.

    Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. Drinkwater
  • She wore overalls and high boots, and the night braid of her hair was twisted several times round her throat.

    Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
  • She hurried on her riding-clothes, dropped her braid under her jacket, and ran down the stairs.

    Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
  • Yes; for every wound we get we have the right to wear a narrow strip of gold braid on the tunic sleeve.

    Private Peat | Harold R. Peat

British Dictionary definitions for braid (1 of 2)

braid1

/ (breɪd) /


verb(tr)
  1. to interweave several strands of (hair, thread, etc); plait

  2. to make by such weaving: to braid a rope

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

  2. to decorate with an ornamental trim or border: to braid a skirt

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

  2. narrow ornamental tape of woven silk, wool, etc

Origin of braid

1
Old English bregdan to move suddenly, weave together; compare Old Norse bregtha, Old High German brettan to draw a sword

Derived forms of braid

  • braider, noun

British Dictionary definitions for braid (2 of 2)

braid2

/ (bred, breɪd) Scot /


adjective
  1. broad

adverb
  1. broadly; frankly

Origin of braid

2
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