weave
Americanverb (used with object)
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to interlace (threads, yarns, strips, fibrous material, etc.) so as to form a fabric or material.
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to form by interlacing threads, yarns, strands, or strips of some material.
to weave a basket; to weave cloth.
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to form by combining various elements or details into a connected whole.
to weave a tale; to weave a plan.
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to introduce as an element or detail into a connected whole (usually followed by in orinto ).
She wove an old folk melody into her latest musical composition.
- Synonyms:
- intermingle, intermix, insert
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to direct or move along in a winding or zigzag course; move from side to side, especially to avoid obstructions.
to weave one's way through traffic.
verb (used without object)
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to form or construct something, as fabric, by interlacing threads, yarns, strips, etc.
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to compose a connected whole by combining various elements or details.
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to be or become formed or composed from the interlacing of materials or the combining of various elements.
The yarn wove into a beautiful fabric.
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to move or proceed in a winding course or from side to side.
dancers weaving in time to the music.
noun
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a pattern of or method for interlacing yarns.
verb
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to form (a fabric) by interlacing (yarn, etc), esp on a loom
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(tr) to make or construct by such a process
to weave a shawl
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(tr) to make or construct (an artefact, such as a basket) by interlacing (a pliable material, such as cane)
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(of a spider) to make (a web)
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(tr) to construct by combining separate elements into a whole
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(tr; often foll by in, into, through, etc) to introduce
to weave factual details into a fiction
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to create (a way, etc) by moving from side to side
to weave through a crowd
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(intr) () vet science (of a stabled horse) to swing the head, neck, and body backwards and forwards
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informal to hurry; start to do something
noun
Other Word Forms
- outweave verb (used with object)
- reweave verb
- weaving noun
Etymology
Origin of weave
before 900; Middle English weven, Old English wefan; cognate with German weben, Old Norse vefa; web
Explanation
Weaving involves lacing strips of fabric, string, or some other material together to make something. You can weave wool to make a rug, or weave the details of a story together to make a great book. While weave originally only meant to make cloth by interlacing material, it later came to also mean more generally “combine into a whole.” Think of a spider and how it weaves its web, or of how some songs expertly weave in unexpected elements, like the sound of a siren or the waves crashing. You can also use weave to describe a swaying motion, like that of a car darting through traffic when it’s trying to move ahead.
Vocabulary lists containing weave
Native American History - Introductory
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Native American History - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As federally regulated exchange-traded funds hold bitcoin and other digital assets, the institutional custody enables investors to more easily weave crypto holdings into a portfolio.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
From here, Goldin and Poitras weave a thread that connects all of Goldin’s experiences so far.
From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026
There’s an intimate breadth to the warp, woof and weave of “Pompei: Below the Clouds,” which is masterfully edited by Fabrizio Federico and boasts an enveloping score by “The Brutalist” Oscar winner Daniel Blumberg.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
William watched as his wife, Catherine, known as Kate, tried her hand at helping weave a two-mile-long tartan scarf at a mental health charity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
Most villages had craft schools, where boys and girls learned how to weave cloth, carve wood, and master other skills that would land them steady work when they grew up.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
