braid

braid — noun

1. a long piece of hair, or sometimes rope or similar material, formed by crossing

1.nounB1
Definition

a long piece of hair, or sometimes rope or similar material, formed by crossing three parts over one another.

Example

Hana wore one long braid down her back on sports day.

wear one's hair in a braid

After the dance show, Bao's braid came loose near the end.

Common collocations
  • long braid
  • single braid
  • two braids
  • loosen a braid
Synonyms
  • plait

    very close synonym, especially common in British English

  • pigtail

    usually one of two braids, one on each side of the head

Grammar Patterns

wear one's hair in a braid

a long braid down [someone's] back

Usage Note

Usually countable. For hair, English often says 'wear your hair in a braid' or 'in braids'. Distinguish this from noun sense 2, which refers to decorative trim on cloth.

Common Mistakes

She put her hair in a braid with two parts.
She put her hair in a braid with three parts.
a braid normally uses three or more sections; with two sections, English usually says 'twist'.

2. woven cord or ribbon used as decoration on clothes, uniforms, curtains, or furni

2.nounC1
Definition

woven cord or ribbon used as decoration on clothes, uniforms, curtains, or furniture.

Example

Gold braid shone on the captain's dark jacket during the school parade.

gold braid on a uniform

The tailor stitched braid around the curtain edge to match the red sofa.

braid around the edge of fabric

Common collocations
  • gold braid
  • silver braid
  • military braid
  • braid on a jacket
Synonyms
  • trim

    broader word for decorative material on clothes or furniture

  • ribbon

    usually a softer strip that is tied, not sewn on as edging

  • cord

    can look similar, but it is not always used for decoration

Grammar Patterns

gold / silver braid on [uniform]

braid around the edge of [cloth item]

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when it means decorative material. It often appears with a colour or material word such as 'gold', 'silver', or 'silk'.

Common Mistakes

The gift was tied with a braid.
The gift was tied with a ribbon.
this sense means woven trim sewn onto cloth, not any loose strip used for tying.

braid — verb

Word family

  • braided
    adjectiveB2
  • braiding
    nounC1
  • unbraid
    verbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These verbs all describe crossing long pieces, but they are not used in exactly the same way. Braid is the everyday word when you make hair, rope, or strips cross in a regular pattern to form one joined length. Plait is very close in meaning and is especially common in British English for hair. Weave is broader: you can weave cloth, baskets, or branches, so it does not always suggest one simple three-part pattern. Twist is simpler still, and often uses only two parts or one turning movement. So you braid a girl's hair, plait ribbons in a school play, weave reeds into a basket, and twist two wires together.

braid ↗plaitweave ↗twist ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Braid goes back to Old English, where a related verb meant pulling, moving quickly, or working strands across each other. In Middle English, one branch of that older verb narrowed toward the idea of interlacing hair, cord, or similar material in a set pattern. From the action came the noun for the finished plaited piece, and later English also used the same noun for decorative woven trim on clothing and furniture.