braid

[breyd] /breɪd/
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.
3.
to bind or confine (the hair) with a band, ribbon, etc.
4.
to trim with braid, as a garment.
noun
5.
a braided length or plait, especially of hair.
6.
a hair style formed by interweaving three or more strands of hair.
7.
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.
8.
a band, ribbon, etc., for binding or confining the hair.
Origin
before 950; Middle English braiden, breiden (v.), Old English bregdan to move quickly, move to and fro, weave; cognate with Old Norse bregtha, Dutch breien
Related forms
braider, noun
well-braided, adjective
Can be confused
braid, brayed.
Examples from the web for braid
  • She is tall, with light-blue eyes and dark-brown hair, worn in a thick braid down her back.
  • Then someone pushed a long braid of her hair down my throat.
  • Wear long hair in a ponytail or braid secured with a plain elastic hair band.
  • Maybe a year from now, it will be clear to me what various strands went into the braid of this decision.
  • The eternal golden braid emerges as a strange loop.
  • Another yeast-raised cake to our liking has a flat center, a braid around the edge, done as a fancy border.
  • From each one's head emerges a long braid ending in tendrils that are alive with nerves.
  • In severe shock and vibration environments, solid straps may be corrugated, or flexible tinned copper wire braid may be used.
British Dictionary definitions for braid

braid1

/breɪd/
verb (transitive)
1.
to interweave several strands of (hair, thread, etc); plait
2.
to make by such weaving: to braid a rope
3.
to dress or bind (the hair) with a ribbon, etc
4.
to decorate with an ornamental trim or border: to braid a skirt
noun
5.
a length of hair, fabric, etc, that has been braided; plait
6.
narrow ornamental tape of woven silk, wool, etc
Derived Forms
braider, noun
Word Origin
Old English bregdan to move suddenly, weave together; compare Old Norse bregtha, Old High German brettan to draw a sword

braid2

/bred; breɪd/
adjective
1.
broad
adverb
2.
broadly; frankly
Word Origin
Scot variant of broad
Word Origin and History for braid
v.

"to plait, knit, weave, twist together," c.1200, breidan, from Old English bregdan "to move quickly, pull, shake, swing, throw (in wrestling), draw (a sword); bend, weave, knit, join together; change color, vary; scheme, feign, pretend" (class III strong verb, past tense brægd, past participle brogden), from Proto-Germanic *bregthan "make sudden jerky movements from side to side" (cf. Old Norse bregða "to brandish, turn about, braid;" Old Saxon bregdan "to weave;" Dutch breien "to knit;" Old High German brettan "to draw, weave, braid"), from PIE root *bherek- "to gleam, flash" (cf. Sanskrit bhrasate "flames, blazes, shines"). In English the verb survives only in the narrow definition of "plait hair." Related: Braided; braiding.

n.

in part from stem found in Old English gebrægd "craft, fraud," gebregd "commotion," Old Norse bragð "deed, trick," and in part from or influenced by related braid (v.). Earliest senses are "a deceit, stratagem, trick" (c.1200), "sudden or quick movement" (c.1300); meaning "anything plaited or entwined" (especially hair) is from 1520s.

Slang definitions & phrases for braid

braid

Related Terms

gold braid