- The definition of a braid is an interweaving of three or more strips of something.
An example of a braid is a popular hair style.
- Braid means to weave together three or more strips of something.
An example of braid is to use several strips of cloth to interweave strips to make a rug.
A little girl with her hair in braids.
- to interweave three or more strands of (hair, straw, etc.)
- to make by such interweaving: to braid a rug
- to arrange (the hair) in a braid or braids
- Old Poet. to tie up (the hair) in a ribbon or band
- to trim or bind with braid
Origin of braidMiddle English breiden, to dart, twist, pull ; from Old English bregdan, to move quickly ; from Indo-European base an unverified form bhere-, to gleam, flash from source bream, Old Norse bra, eyelid
- a band or strip formed by braiding
- a length of braided hair
- a woven band of cloth, tape, ribbon, etc., used to bind or decorate clothing
verbbraid·ed, braid·ing, braids
- a. To interweave three or more strands, strips, or lengths of in a diagonally overlapping pattern: braided the rags into a strong rope.b. To create (something) by such interweaving: braid a rug.c. To style (the hair) by such interweaving.d. To mingle (discrete elements, for example) as if by such interweaving: braided the ideas into a complex thesis.
- To decorate or edge (something) with a trim of interwoven strands: finished the jacket by braiding the collar and cuffs.
- To fasten or decorate (hair) with a band or ribbon.
- A braided segment or length, as of hair, fabric, or fiber.
- Ornamental cord or ribbon, used especially for decorating or edging fabrics.
- A ribbon or band used to fasten the hair.
- Slang Naval officers of high rank.
Origin of braidMiddle English braiden, from Old English bregdan, to weave.
(third-person singular simple present braids, present participle braiding, simple past braided, past participle braided or obsolete browden)
From Middle English braiden, breiden, bræiden, from Old English breġdan (“to move quickly, pull, shake, swing, throw (wrestling), draw (sword), drag; bend, weave, braid, knit, join together; change color, vary, be transformed; bind, knot; move, be pulled; flash”), from Proto-Germanic *bregdaną (“to flicker, flutter, jerk, tug, twitch, flinch, move, swing”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēḱ-, *bʰrēǵ- (“to shine, shimmer”). Cognate with Scots brade, braid (“to move quickly or suddenly”), West Frisian breidzje, Dutch breien (“to knit”), Low German breiden, Bavarian bretten (“to move quickly, twitch”), Icelandic bregða (“to move quickly, jerk”).
(comparative more braid, superlative most braid)
- (obsolete) deceitful