plaid

noun

ˈplad 

1

: a rectangular length of tartan worn over the left shoulder as part of the Scottish national costume

2

a

: a twilled woolen fabric with a tartan pattern

b

: a fabric with a pattern of tartan or an imitation of tartan

3

a

: tartan sense 1

b

: a pattern of unevenly spaced repeated stripes crossing at right angles

plaid adjective

plaided

ˈpla-dəd 

adjective

Examples of plaid in a Sentence

She likes to wear plaids.

Recent Examples on the Web

Lively was also joined by her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who sported a gray plaid suit. —Jen Juneau, People.com, 27 Apr. 2025

Together, the family sorted, organized, and photographed 632 vintage wool skirts—spanning decades and in a range of colors, plaids, and silhouettes. —Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2025

Enough interest in the film remains that, in February 2023, Silverstone put that yellow plaid jacket on again for a Super Bowl ad. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 15 Mar. 2025

Long, 46, wore light blue straight leg jeans and white and blue plaid shirt with a black shirt underneath. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Scottish Gaelic plaide

First Known Use

1512, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing plaid

• buffalo plaid
• glen plaid

Rhymes for plaid

• ad
• add
• bad
• brad
• cad
• clad
• dad
• fad
• gad
• glad
• grad
• had

Kids Definition

plaid

noun

ˈplad 

1

: a rectangular length of tartan worn over the shoulder as part of the Scottish national costume

2

: a fabric with a tartan pattern

3

a

: tartan sense 1

b

: a pattern of unevenly spaced repeated stripes crossing at right angles

plaid adjective