braided; braiding; braids
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
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
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
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2024
At least two dozen states have exempted hair braiders from needing a cosmetology or barber license or have decriminalized braiding without a license.
—Claretta Bellamy, NBC News, 2 Mar. 2024
The child is a Black male with brown eyes and may have his hair braided in cornrows.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024
Over the past few weeks, as my Vogue colleagues and I delved into global braiding cultures and styles, the topic of wedding braids has come up a few times.
—Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024
This braided Easter egg bread is pretty enough to be used as the centerpiece on your holiday table.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, protective styles– like Justine Skye’s hybrid extensions and Tyla’s Bahamas braid down– were popular, too.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 22 Jan. 2024
The biggest difference is with the shoes’ stitching: The Tasman has a statement braid around the mouth, whereas the Koolaburra version has a similar but flattened embroidery.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024
By the bridge, the three voices have braided together almost imperceptibly.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 29 Feb. 2024
USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
On the other hand, 10-pound-test braid or fluorocarbon coupled with a medium-power moderate-action 6 ½- to 7 ½-foot rod is preferred when casting cranks.
—David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024
Blossoming out of beautifully twisted locs are four extra-thick braids, brought together at the base near the top of the head, and tied off at the ends to leave several inches of straight hair.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 15 Mar. 2024
Practicing in a skirt and with her hair in braids, young Irene became the best in the family.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Growing up [in the Caribbean], my mom used to put my hair in braids a lot.
—Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024
Many independent hairstylists gain a huge social following based on their in-demand ability to create and execute viral hairstyles like boho braids, freestyle cornrows, and traditional sew-ins that look great in clients’ vacation photos.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 6 Mar. 2024
At this point, her famous blond hair was bound in school-girl braids.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
Although the language of each law differs across the states that draft them, CROWN Act laws generally prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles that are commonly associated with a particular race or culture, including Black hairstyles like locs, braids or Bantu knots.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
Her hair is braided up with red, white, and beige beads, while the completely black background echoes the artwork for the rodeo queen-nodding standard cover and the artwork for 2022’s Renaissance album.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2024
At least two dozen states have exempted hair braiders from needing a cosmetology or barber license or have decriminalized braiding without a license.
—Claretta Bellamy, NBC News, 2 Mar. 2024
The child is a Black male with brown eyes and may have his hair braided in cornrows.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024
Over the past few weeks, as my Vogue colleagues and I delved into global braiding cultures and styles, the topic of wedding braids has come up a few times.
—Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024
This braided Easter egg bread is pretty enough to be used as the centerpiece on your holiday table.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, protective styles– like Justine Skye’s hybrid extensions and Tyla’s Bahamas braid down– were popular, too.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 22 Jan. 2024
The biggest difference is with the shoes’ stitching: The Tasman has a statement braid around the mouth, whereas the Koolaburra version has a similar but flattened embroidery.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024
By the bridge, the three voices have braided together almost imperceptibly.
—Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Burnham rocking braids at the beginning of Season 3 speaks cultural volumes.
—USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
On the other hand, 10-pound-test braid or fluorocarbon coupled with a medium-power moderate-action 6 ½- to 7 ½-foot rod is preferred when casting cranks.
—David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024
Blossoming out of beautifully twisted locs are four extra-thick braids, brought together at the base near the top of the head, and tied off at the ends to leave several inches of straight hair.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 15 Mar. 2024
Practicing in a skirt and with her hair in braids, young Irene became the best in the family.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Growing up [in the Caribbean], my mom used to put my hair in braids a lot.
—Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024
Many independent hairstylists gain a huge social following based on their in-demand ability to create and execute viral hairstyles like boho braids, freestyle cornrows, and traditional sew-ins that look great in clients’ vacation photos.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 6 Mar. 2024
At this point, her famous blond hair was bound in school-girl braids.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
Although the language of each law differs across the states that draft them, CROWN Act laws generally prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles that are commonly associated with a particular race or culture, including Black hairstyles like locs, braids or Bantu knots.
—Chandelis Duster, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'braid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Braid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/braid. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
braid
1 of 2 verb1
: 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
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