braid

1 of 2

verb

ˈbrād 

braided; braiding; braids

transitive verb

1

a

: to make from braids

braid a rug

b

: to form (three or more strands) into a braid

2

: to do up (the hair) by interweaving three or more strands

3

: mix, intermingle

braid fact with fiction

4

: to ornament especially with ribbon or braid

braider noun

braid

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a length of braided hair

b

: a cord or ribbon having usually three or more component strands forming a regular diagonal pattern down its length

especially : a narrow fabric of intertwined threads used especially for trimming

2

: high-ranking naval officers

Synonyms

Verb

• plait
• plat
• pleat

Noun

• lace
• lacing
• plait
• plat

Examples of braid in a Sentence

Verb

She braids her hair every morning.

they taught each other how to braid yarn into bracelets

Noun

a hat trimmed with braid

until she was 15, she had a braid that reached to her knees

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The Top Dawg Entertainment rapper was minding her business getting braided when an annoyed customer voiced their frustrations to comedian Exavier TV — playing the role of a barber — about a quick flip of cash not working out. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2024

Pick-and-drop braids are the latest braiding style to go viral for those exact reasons. —Jessica Fields, Essence, 17 Oct. 2024

Noun

To her right, Katelyn Ohashi, 27, a former UCLA Bruin whose joyous floor routine at the 2019 Collegiate Challenge went viral, styled Carey’s hair, weaving small sections into braids—their longstanding pre-show ritual. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 17 Oct. 2024

Styled by Lee Trigg, her glam featured a glossy, lined lip and braids pulled back into a bun. —Mikelle Street, WWD, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English breyden to move suddenly, snatch, plait, from Old English bregdan; akin to Old High German brettan to draw (a sword)

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing braid

• box braid
• french braid

Kids Definition

braid

1 of 2 verb

ˈbrād 

1

: to form strands into a braid

2

: to ornament especially with ribbon or braid

braider noun

braid

2 of 2 noun

: a length of cord, ribbon, or hair formed of three or more strands woven together