plaid

American  

[plad] / plæd /

noun

plaids plural

1. any fabric woven of differently colored yarns in a crossbarred pattern.

2. a pattern of this kind.

3. a long, rectangular piece of cloth, usually with such a pattern and worn across the left shoulder by Scottish Highlanders.

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adjective

1. having the pattern of a plaid.

plaid British  

/ plæd, pleɪd /

noun

1. a long piece of cloth of a tartan pattern, worn over the shoulder as part of Highland costume

2. 1. a crisscross weave or cloth

   2. ( as modifier )

      a plaid scarf

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• plaids
  plural

Etymology

Origin of plaid

1505–15; < Scots Gaelic plaide blanket, plaid plaid ( def. 3 )

Explanation

Plaid describes the crisscross pattern found on a Scottish kilt or a punk rocker’s pants. It can be a kind of cloth woven with the design, or a name for the design itself. Fashion-wise, it’s a bold but versatile pattern. Plaid is traditionally made from wool or flannel with a multi-colored tartan design — in other words, a pattern of vertical and horizontal bands of color. These days, every kind of clothing is available in plaid, from socks to skirts to scarves. In English-speaking countries other than the US, plaid is more likely to be called tartan, in fact. In Scotland, a plaid is actually a traditional blanket-like garment, and in Gaelic, plaide means "blanket."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

plaid plaids

Rather, this is a working man in a plaid shirt and denim.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

The red, white and grey plaid shorts have become iconic in tennis circles, and the surviving pairs have found good homes.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

There was a pop-up shop decorated to look like a cozy British cottage full of holiday gifts, a scarf bar and Bloomingdale’s signature Big Brown plush collectible bear donned a plaid scarf.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

David, new, in the plaid pants, didn’t have a Signal name yet.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2025

All the girls are wearing the exact same plaid skirt, white blouse, and navy-blue blazer with a fancy crest.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Newsboy caps, button-down vests and a predominance of subtle plaids recalled "Peaky Blinders", while pocket watch chains consolidated the 1920s feel.

From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026

There are also many things it isn’t: no bright green garlands, no mixing of plaids in the same room, and no gift bags under the tree.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025

Come for the messy, backstabbing celebrities, but stay for Alan Cumming's show-stopping plaids.

From Salon ● Jan. 19, 2025

It was wild; there were crazy prints — plaids, leopard spots — in my favorite colors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2024

She was wearing an outfit of red plaids, lavender stripes, and aqua polka dots that she had matched herself.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser