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

Eli Russell Linnetz, left, wears ERL plaid shirt, tee and cargo pants. — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Worth checking out The Achillea Cashmere Feel Winter Scarf comes in a range of plaid and checked designs. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026

Ditto for olive and navy pants to complement plaids and other patterns. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026

Home Décor September is the time when many people are shopping for cozy and seasonal home décor—anything plaid, wool, soft, and warm will be in high demand throughout the month. — Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026

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