braid

1 of 2

verb

ˈbrād 

braided; braiding; braids

transitive verb

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

braid

2 of 2

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

Synonyms of braid

Verb

• plait
• weave
• plat

Noun

• lace
• plait
• stripe
• braiding
• lacing

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

Verb

Actor Sam Reid is laced into a pair of skintight black pants, his shoulder-length blond hair braided into Britney-style pigtails and his face and torso covered in iridescent glitter. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 June 2026

And because of it, braiding is only getting more personal. —Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Noun

In braids and a bright yellow fishing bib, with her dog Claude at her side and a witty interjection always on the tip of her tongue, Maude climbs onto her trusty little boat and sets a course for the open sea. —Literary Hub, 1 June 2026

Bora Bora braids sit alongside Fulani-boho hybrids. —Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English breyden to move suddenly, snatch, plait, from Old English bregdan; akin to Old High German brettan to draw (a sword)

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing braid

• box braid
• french braid

Rhymes for braid

• aid
• aide
• bade
• blade
• clade
• dade
• fade
• flayed
• fraid
• frayed
• gade
• glade

Kids Definition

braid

1 of 2 verb

ˈbrād 

1

: 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