plaid

noun \ ˈplad \

Definition of plaid

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 1

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

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plaid

adjective

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plaided

play \ˈpla-dəd\ adjective

See plaid defined for English-language learners

See plaid defined for kids

Examples of plaid in a Sentence

She likes to wear plaids.

Recent Examples of plaid from the Web

Behind the cockpit—seats trimmed in a fetching plaid, no less—was a 315hp (235kW) 2.0L turbocharged V6 plucked from the Maserati Ghibli.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "Monterey Car Week is like Comic Con and the Oscars but with wheels," 24 Aug. 2017
Just hope there’s no plaid at the induction ceremony.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: Young Americans With the Best Chance at a Grand Slam Breakthrough," 9 Aug. 2017
Rimann arranged a meeting with the caller on the morning of his slaying but the business associate went in Rimann’s place, looking for a man in a gray plaid suit.

— shane sanderson, kansascity, "Wolf Rimann, politically connected country club owner, shot dead in broad daylight," 16 July 2017
Under Bailey’s guidance, Burberry has sought to restore its luster by reining in the plaid.

— stephanie baker, Bloomberg.com, "Christopher Bailey’s Out as Burberry CEO. He Couldn’t Be Happier," 5 July 2017
Wearing tan slacks and a green and blue plaid short-sleeved shirt, Sager entered his plea Friday afternoon in front of U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver.

— eric heisig, cleveland.com, "Former local United Steelworkers head pleads guilty to federal charges," 30 June 2017
Town of Brookfield — Bring on the oxford cloth, the chamois shirts, the woodsy plaids equally at home on the trail or at a family reunion on Narragansett Bay.

— rick romell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "L.L. Bean shows off new store in Brookfield, the retailer's first in Wisconsin," 29 June 2017
There’s just so much design in neckwear: stripes, solids, plaids.

— cindy dampier, chicagotribune.com, "Style Tribe: Graphic design guru Jason Pickleman communicates with clothes," 29 June 2017
Dressed in a blue and white plaid shirt and khaki pants, Eric Hummel sat by himself as attorneys prepared for the court hearing to begin.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Hobart father accused of inadvertently shooting his daughter appears in court," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plaid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of plaid

Scottish Gaelic plaide

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1512

See Words from the same year

Other Clothing Terms

babushka, brogue, bumbershoot, cravat, dishabille, furbelow, layette, raiment, spectator

PLAID Defined for English Language Learners

plaid

noun

Definition of plaid for English Language Learners

: a pattern on cloth of stripes with different widths that cross each other to form squares
plaids : clothes with plaid patterns
: a woolen cloth with a plaid pattern that is worn over the shoulder as part of the Scottish national costume