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

Buffalo checks, ginghams and colorful plaid fabrics emerge in unexpected silhouettes for dressier outdoor looks such as drapey tops, dresses and skirts for women. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 Aug. 2025

Traditionally, the caps are red and black plaid or gray. —Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 23 July 2025

Here, 20 one-bedroom bungalows are clad in fashion designer Todd Snyder’s signature motifs of military camouflage, menswear plaids, and his exclusive red-and-black Heritage Plaid (designed in collaboration with L.L. Bean). —Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025

Silverstone stepped back into her iconic yellow plaid outfit in February 2023, reprising her Clueless character in a Super Bowl ad for the online shopping platform Rakuten. —Danny Horn, EW.com, 19 July 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