braid

[ breyd ]
See synonyms for: braidbraidedbraids on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. to bind or confine (the hair) with a band, ribbon, etc.

  2. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. a band, ribbon, etc., for binding or confining the hair.

Origin of braid

1
First recordedbefore 950; Middle English braiden, breiden (verb), Old English bregdan “to move quickly, move to and fro, weave”; cognate with Old Norse bregtha, Dutch breien

Other words from braid

  • braider, noun
  • well-braided, adjective

Words that may be confused with braid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use braid in a sentence

  • She hesitated, her fingers to her lips, and reluctantly unwound the braids that she wore about her forehead in a Swedish coil.

    The Woman Gives | Owen Johnson
  • Louise tossed back her long braids and put on her hat, and the solemn little party started out.

    The Story of the Big Front Door | Mary Finley Leonard
  • "She must have been desperate," remarked her father, pulling one of the long braids that hung over her shoulder.

    The Story of the Big Front Door | Mary Finley Leonard
  • Her hair hung in two long, glorious braids, and it was just half-inclined to wave in sweet caresses about her oval face.

  • We made fillets of hide to shade our eyes, she thus binding back the long braids of her hair.

    The Way of a Man | Emerson Hough

British Dictionary definitions for braid (1 of 2)

braid1

/ (breɪd) /


verb(tr)
  1. to interweave several strands of (hair, thread, etc); plait

  2. to make by such weaving: to braid a rope

  1. to dress or bind (the hair) with a ribbon, etc

  2. 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

Origin of braid

1
Old English bregdan to move suddenly, weave together; compare Old Norse bregtha, Old High German brettan to draw a sword

Derived forms of braid

  • braider, noun

British Dictionary definitions for braid (2 of 2)

braid2

/ (bred, breɪd) Scot /


adjective
  1. broad

adverb
  1. broadly; frankly

Origin of braid

2
Scot variant of broad

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012