braid

American  

[breyd] / breɪd /

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.

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

4. to trim with braid, as a garment.

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noun

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

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

3. 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.

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

braid ¹ British  

/ breɪd /

verb

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

2. to make by such weaving

   to braid a rope

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

4. to decorate with an ornamental trim or border

   to braid a skirt

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noun

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

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

braid ² British  

/ breɪd, bred /

adjective

1. broad

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adverb

1. broadly; frankly

Other Word Forms

• braider noun
• well-braided adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Or made by the woman in your apartment building who has both a co-op volunteering shift and a single, long gray braid.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

Those are the two pieces that braid together so nicely.

From Slate • Jan. 10, 2026

Stores sell collectible figures titled “Influencer Trespassing on Private Road”: a woman with a long braid under a wide-brimmed hat, smartphone in hand, in front of a leafy landscape.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 12, 2025

"I call myself a braid baby because I've been braiding since I was 6 years old," she says, telling me how her family would bond over the skill as her mum proudly looks on.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2025

He’d never once eaten a braid, whatever that was.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

• pigtail
• ponytail