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.
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
weavesimple
-
weavessimple
-
have weavedperfect
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have wovenperfect
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has weavedperfect
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has wovenperfect
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am weavingprogressive
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are weavingprogressive
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is weavingprogressive
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have been weavingperfect progressive
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has been weavingperfect progressive
Past
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weavedsimple
-
wovesimple
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had weavedperfect
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had wovenperfect
-
was weavingprogressive
-
were weavingprogressive
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had been weavingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of weave
before 900; Middle English weven, Old English wefan; cognate with German weben, Old Norse vefa; see 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.
To get a full picture of Aidan’s health history, a clinician had to pore through paper records, relying on memory to weave disparate facts together.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026
Around 2023, drone makers supplying Ukrainian forces ramped up development of AI to lock onto targets, while commanders began to weave it into targeting systems.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
The other is its parish, the spiritual center of this Cambridgeshire hamlet and a place where community members weave themselves in each other’s lives while supporting its rectors.
From Salon • Jun. 16, 2026
In 2025, emergency services faced severe delays in Malmesbury as they struggled to weave through the narrow streets due to "poor and inconsiderate parking".
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
I slam my hand onto the dry, brittle ground and let my frustration weave into the earth.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
