plait

American  

[pleyt, plat] / pleɪt, plæt /

noun

1. a braid, especially of hair or straw.

2. a pleat or fold, as of cloth.

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verb (used with object)

1. to braid, as hair or straw.

2. to make, as a mat, by braiding.

3. to pleat.

plait British  

/ plæt /

noun

1. a length of hair, ribbon, etc, that has been plaited

2. (in Britain) a loaf of bread of several twisting or intertwining parts

3. a rare spelling of pleat

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verb

1. (tr) to intertwine (strands or strips) in a pattern

Other Word Forms

• interplait verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of plait

1350–1400; Middle English pleyt < Middle French pleit < Latin plicitum, neuter of plicitus, past participle of plicāre to fold; ply ²

Example Sentences

As my panting subsided, I could make out the faint texture of the woven walls around me and smell the still-fresh scent of the green fronds from which they were plaited.

From Literature

Her gray hair was wrapped in a great plait at the base of her neck.

From Literature

The younger one, with a deep-brown tone like Jackson and plaited pigtails, grinned half a mouth of teeth and clutched a small furry thing in her hands.

From Literature

A tad dramatic perhaps but to be fair, Woodburn's plaited, platinum bun was iconic.

From BBC

It takes a willingness to understand and honor the hairstyle's origins and what that plaiting symbolizes to accept that not everybody should flaunt it.

From Salon