plait

1 of 2

noun

ˈplāt  ˈplat 

1

: pleat

2

: a braid of material (such as hair or straw)

specifically : pigtail

plait

2 of 2

verb

plaited; plaiting; plaits

transitive verb

1

: pleat sense 1

2

a

: to interweave the strands or locks of : braid

b

: to make by plaiting

plait a basket

plaiter noun

Synonyms

Noun

• braid
• lace
• lacing
• plat

Verb

• braid
• plat
• pleat

Examples of plait in a Sentence

Noun

She wore her hair in plaits.

she wore a plait down her back that reached her waist

Verb

My mum taught me how to plait my own hair.

plaited the doll's hair so it wouldn't tangle

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Other braids seen on the runway included messy, pulled out pigtails and tiny face-framing plaits. —Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2025

Lawrence also wore her hair in thick plaits, and donned a pair of orange lensed, oval sunglasses. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025

Verb

Among the haunting remnants, one image has stayed with me—a child's lock of hair, neatly plaited and tied with a small red ribbon, matted with mud. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025

From the Pilgrims and founding fathers through the frontier and all the way to today’s hustle culture, gig economy, and ragged-by-design safety net, the essential American folk tale has plaited hard work with destiny, self-reliance with self-actualization, and success with moral worth. —Adam Chandler, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

variant of pleat entry 2

Verb

variant of pleat entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for plait

• ate
• bait
• bate
• cate
• crate
• date
• eight
• fait
• fate
• fete
• frate
• freight

Kids Definition

plait

1 of 2 verb

ˈplāt  ˈplat 

1

: pleat sense 1

2

a

: braid entry 1 sense 1

b

: to make by braiding

plaiting a basket

plaiter noun

plait

2 of 2 noun

1

: a flat fold : pleat

2

: a flat braid (as of hair)