braid

[breyd]

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.

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

/ 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

noun

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

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

braid

²

/ breɪd, bred /

adjective

1. broad

adverb

1. broadly; frankly

Other Word Forms

• braider noun
• well-braided adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of braid¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of braid¹

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

Origin of braid²

Scot variant of _broad

Example Sentences

This developing plot line, however, stays in the background as customers turn up demanding to look like Beyoncé or requesting micro braids, a labor-intensive torture for overworked hands.

From Los Angeles Times

A hair braiding shop is more than a salon, it’s a community center.

From Los Angeles Times

A small group of people — a number of them women in their 60s and 70s with gray braids and top-of-the-line rain jackets — have been congregating here for months to protest the federal immigration crackdown.

From Los Angeles Times

Her kitchen space, complete with brightly colored dishware and ceramic food replicas, was swiftly transformed into a makeshift vanity space where she sat to get a full face of makeup and her hair braided.

From Los Angeles Times

Now Orla is part of a "braided" career project, thought to be a first for Scotland, which is aiming to help reverse that decline.

From BBC

Related Words

• pigtail 
• ponytail