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

Maybe Happy Ending An originally Korean musical that lies somewhere between rom-com and Klara and the Sun with a score that braids Burt Bacharach and Joe Hisaishi, Maybe Happy Ending is a rare and delicate thing among the already small number of original musicals that come to New York each year. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024

While older ghosts were braided into the everyday life of peasant society marking crises and plentitude alongside of joys and fears, the modern specter, whose features were now homogenized across cultures, only represented fear. —Tithi Bhattacharya / Made By History, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024

Noun

Donning blond braids and an all-white outfit with a matching fluffy cowboy hat, the singer poses as the cactus lights up. —Caché McClay, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024

The tennis champion shares her training routine, the hair care products behind her signature braids, and what recovery looks like off-season. —Essence, 11 Dec. 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