braid
/breɪd
/noun
1 [mass noun] Threads of silk, cotton, or other material woven into a decorative band for edging or trimming garments: a coat trimmed with gold braid [count noun]: fancy braids...
- Standing atop one of them, with his back to her, was a man wearing a dress blue Navy uniform with yards of gold braid banded around the sleeves.
- He was a leader, represented by his standard and his throne-like stool, and perhaps the item worn around his neck decorated with gold braid.
- They could even spin very fine silk threads and weave these into decorative braids, although it is more likely that they only ever saw the thread rather than the raw silk fibres.
Synonyms
cord, cording, braiding, bullion, thread, twine, yarn, tape, binding, rickrack, ribbon;
cordon, torsade, galloon, soutache
military slang scrambled egg
2chiefly North American A length of hair made up of three or more interlaced strands: her hair curled neatly in blonde braids...
- Her hair hung in braids, almost like cornrows, but prettier.
- As you methodically create the braids direct the braided hair forward towards the front of the face.
- She had strawberry blonde hair in twin braids, and had the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen.
Synonyms
plait, pigtail, twist;
cornrows, dreadlocks
2.1A length made up of three or more interlaced strands of any flexible material: a flexible copper braid...
- Silverskin garlic, often referred to as soft-neck garlic, stores incredibly well and is the type used for making garlic braids.
- Think of a braided rope - each strand is strong, but when the three strands are intertwined, the braid is unbreakable.
- However, Grams found the hymn's ribbons extremely amusing and braided the long red ribbons into braids.
verb [with object]
1Interlace three or more strands of (hair or other flexible material) to form a length: their long hair was tightly braided...
- Hair care practices, such as braiding hair too tightly, can cause hair loss.
- Begin braiding the hair by placing the left section over the right, right section over the left.
- Do you have any friends who are good enough at braiding hair to get paid for it?
Synonyms
plait, entwine, intertwine, interweave, interlace, interthread, criss-cross, weave, knit, lace, twist, twine, wind
2 (often as adjective braided) Edge or trim (a garment) with braid: braided red trousers...
- If he'd played in that game he would have had his lone cap, tasselled and braided with the gold S v E.
- He was in Prince Albert's 11 th Hussars, and cut quite a dash on horseback in his crimson trousers, braided tunic, tassels and plumes.
Synonyms
trim, edge, border, pipe, hem, fringe, frill;
decorate, adorn, ornament, embellish, embroider
rare befrill
3 (usually as adjective braided) (Of a river or stream) flow into shallow interconnected channels divided by deposited earth or alluvium: a braided river carries an enormous burden of sand and gravel...
- Large braided rivers can have 20 or more channels at any one location.
- The Franklin Bluffs station is located on the flood plain of the wide, braided Sagavanirktok River, at the base of a relatively high bluff.
- He is saying that I, as a resident of the Coromandel, should have no right to comment on the ecological importance of our South Island braided rivers, which are unusual in a global sense.
Origin
Old English bregdan 'make a sudden movement', also 'interweave', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch breien (verb).