pleat

1 of 3

verb

ˈplēt 

pleated; pleating; pleats

transitive verb

1

: fold

especially : to arrange in pleats

pleat a skirt

2

: plait sense 2

pleater noun

pleat

2 of 3

noun (1)

: a fold in cloth made by doubling material over on itself

also : something resembling such a fold

pleatless

ˈplēt-ləs 

adjective

pleater

3 of 3

noun (2)

pleat·​er

ˈplētə(r)

plural -s

1

: one that pleats or makes pleats in cloth, paper, or other material

2

: one that presses or irons pleats

3

: a textile worker who folds cloth after processing

4

: tucker sense 1a(2)

Synonyms of pleat

Verb

• braid

Examples of pleat in a Sentence

Verb

pleat ribbons

Noun (1)

Her skirt has pleats at the waist.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

For her final day of engagements in the area, Middleton wore a cream pleated Jenny Packham skirt, Blazé Milano pin-stripe blazer and belt, as well as Alicia flats in taupe and black courtesy of designer Camilla Elphick. —Stefania Saltalamacchia, Vanity Fair, 15 May 2026

The Glamaker Oversized Jean Jacket caught my mom's eye for its drapey pleated back and dropped shoulders, elevating your look ever so slightly without losing structure. —Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026

Noun

The wide-leg hem keeps your ankles cool on warm summer days, and the pleats and dark hue prevent pesky crease lines from showing. —Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026

Buttons require holes, a hood must be attached to the back of a garment, a zipper worked into a seam or hidden amongst pleats requires more pattern making and construction time. —Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English pleiten, derivative of playte, pleit pleat entry 2

Noun (1)

Middle English playte, pleit, plite, pliȝt "fold, fold in cloth made by doubling over material, wrinkle, braid, strand in a braided cord, unit of measure for cloth," borrowed from Anglo-French pleit, plet, plite, playe "fold, bend, unit of cloth, knot, twist," going back to Vulgar Latin *plictum "something folded," noun derivative from neuter of Latin plictus, variant of plicātus, past participle of plicāre "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

Note: The form plictus is apparently attested as a variant of plicātus in manuscripts of Seneca's letters (see Oxford Latin Dictionary and note at explicit). — The Middle English word shows many spellings and has given rise to markedly diverse outcomes in Modern English. The modern form pleat /plit/ would appear to be a regular development of the French diphthongal spelling pleit (compare Anglo-French pais, peis "peace," fait "feat," etc.). The spelling plait entry 1, if pronounced /pleɪt/, either retains the diphthong (until merger with /ɛ:/ from Middle English long a) or represents some other alteration. If pronounced /plæt/, the word is in effect a spelling variant of plat entry 2, a noun derivative of plat entry 1. In addition, there is plet, going back to later Middle English plet, plette, which the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, characterizes as now "chiefly Scottish and Irish English"; it may result from shortening of the form with /ɛ:/ that gave rise to pleat.

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pleat

• box pleat
• crystal pleat
• kick pleat

Rhymes for pleat

• beat
• beet
• bleat
• cheat
• cleat
• creat
• deet
• eat
• feat
• feet
• fleet
• greet

Kids Definition

pleat

1 of 2 verb

ˈplēt 

1

: to fold or arrange in pleats

pleat a skirt

2

: braid entry 1 sense 1

pleater noun

pleat

2 of 2 noun

: a fold (as in cloth) made by doubling material over on itself