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

This one has a stylish plaid pattern and is made of soft flannel. —Isis Briones, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025

Lenker, in plaid, rubs her eyes; James Krivchenia leans forward, sparky and alert; Meek, outdoors in the Topanga sunshine, wears cycling glasses and a frowzy hat. —Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2025

To recreate Swift's Vivienne Westwood outfit on the right, style Tuckernuck's $59 plaid shirt dress with London Rag's Lug Sole boots and your pick of gold jewelery and sports charms from Kendra Scott. —Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025

Williams, in a faded plaid shirt, gray hair sprouting from under a John Deere hat, paced. —Molly Parker, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 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