From Middle English braiden, breided, bræiden, from Old English breġdan (“to move quickly, pull, shake, swing, throw (wrestling), draw (sword), drag; bend, weave, braid, knit, join together; change color, vary, be transformed; bind, knot; move, be pulled; flash”), from Proto-West Germanic *bregdan, from Proto-Germanic *bregdaną (“to flicker, flutter, jerk, tug, twitch, flinch, move, swing”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēḱ-, *bʰrēǵ- (“to shine, shimmer”).
Cognate with Scots Scots brade, Scots braid (“to move quickly or suddenly”), Saterland Frisian braidje (“to knit”), West Frisian breidzje, Dutch breien (“to knit”), Low German breiden, German breiden, Bavarian bretten (“to move quickly, twitch”), Icelandic bregða (“to move quickly, jerk”), Faroese bregða (“to move quickly, react swiftly; to draw (sword)”) and Faroese bregda (“to plaid, braid, twist, twine”).
Meanings
(obsolete) Crafty, deceitful.
Since Frenchmen are so braid, / Marry that will, I live and die a maid. c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
From Middle English braiden, breided, bræiden, from Old English breġdan (“to move quickly, pull, shake, swing, throw (wrestling), draw (sword), drag; bend, weave, braid, knit, join together; change color, vary, be transformed; bind, knot; move, be pulled; flash”), from Proto-West Germanic *bregdan, from Proto-Germanic *bregdaną (“to flicker, flutter, jerk, tug, twitch, flinch, move, swing”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēḱ-, *bʰrēǵ- (“to shine, shimmer”).
Cognate with Scots Scots brade, Scots braid (“to move quickly or suddenly”), Saterland Frisian braidje (“to knit”), West Frisian breidzje, Dutch breien (“to knit”), Low German breiden, German breiden, Bavarian bretten (“to move quickly, twitch”), Icelandic bregða (“to move quickly, jerk”), Faroese bregða (“to move quickly, react swiftly; to draw (sword)”) and Faroese bregda (“to plaid, braid, twist, twine”).
Meanings
(countable, obsolete) A sudden movement; a jerk, a wrench.
He fixt vpon my face, which to my death / Will neuer part fro me, when with a braide / A deepe fet sigh he gaue, and therewithall / Clasping his handes, to heauen he cast his sight. 1561, Thomas Sackville, Ferrex and Porrex, act IV, scene ii, lines 1274–7:
And than in a brayde Sir Launcelot brake hys chaynes of hys legges and of hys armys (and in the brakynge he hurte hys hondys sore)[…]. 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum ii”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book XII, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:
(countable, uncountable) A weave of three or more strands of fibers, ribbons, cords or hair often for decoration.
The physician should evaluate for a history of tight ponytails, buns, chignons, braids, twists, weaves, cornrows, dreadlocks, sisterlocks, and hair wefts in addition to the usage of religious hair coverings. 2021, Becky S. Li, Howard I. Maibach, Ethnic Skin and Hair and Other Cultural Considerations, page 154:
(countable, uncountable) A stranded wire composed of a number of smaller wires twisted together.
(countable, uncountable) A tubular sheath made of braided strands of metal placed around a central cable for shielding against electromagnetic interference.
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A caprice or outburst of passion or anger.
Let the maide learne none uncleanly words, or wanton, or uncomely gesture and moving of the body, no not so much as when she is yet ignorant what shee doth, and innocent; for shee shall doe the same, when shee is growne bigger and of more discretion, […] And oftentimes such braides come uppon them against their will. 1540, Juan Luis Vives, chapter 2, in Richard Hyrde, transl., Instruction of a Christian Woman:
(countable, uncountable) Given two sets of n points on corresponding positions on two parallel lines, a braid is a unique set of crossings (over or under) between n strands that connect each point on one line to a point on the other line such that all points represent the terminus of one and only one strand and the traversal of any strand from a starting point to an ending point never moves further away from the from the ending point.
We introduce braids via their historical roots and uses, make connections with knot theory and present the mathematical theory of braids through the braid group. 2009, Mitchell A. Berger, Louis H. Kauffman, Renzo L. Ricca, Lectures on Topological Fluid Mechanics, page 1:
In order to characterise the structure and complexity of a braid different numbers or topological invariants can be calculated. 2012, A. T. Skjeltorp, Tamas Vicsek, Complexity from Microscopic to Macroscopic Scales, page 144:
(countable, dialectal, uncountable) A wicker guard for protecting newly grafted trees.
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A moment, stound.
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A turn of work, job.
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A trick; deception.
got 𐍆𐌻𐌰𐌷𐍄𐌰 (weave of three or more strands) · pt trança (hairstyle) · apc جدولة (hairstyle) · tg кокул (hairstyle) · sh плетеница (weave of three or more strands) · gd dual (hairstyle) · it treccia (hairstyle) · mk плетеница (weave of three or more strands) · grc πλέγμα (hairstyle) · ar جَدِيلَة (weave of three or more strands) · sh gajtan (weave of three or more strands) · uz kokil (hairstyle) · sv fläta (hairstyle) · rom chunra (weave of three or more strands) · bg пли́тка (hairstyle) · da fletning (weave of three or more strands) · ca trena (hairstyle) · wa trexhe (weave of three or more strands) · pt trança (weave of three or more strands) · he צַמָּה (hairstyle) · nrf tresse (hairstyle) · sh tkanica (weave of three or more strands) · de Litze (stranded wire composed of a number of smaller wires) · sa केशगर्भक (hairstyle) · kmr kezî (hairstyle) · fa بافته (hairstyle) · ru галу́н (weave of three or more strands) · inh кӏеж (hairstyle) · kk бұрым (hairstyle) · izh kassa (hairstyle) · gl arello (weave of three or more strands) · gl trinca (hairstyle) · la plexus (weave of three or more strands) · de Flechte (hairstyle) · es cimpa (hairstyle) · alt тулуҥ (weave of three or more strands) · nrf tresse (weave of three or more strands) · fr galon (sudden movement) · acm ضَفِيرَة (weave of three or more strands) · fo rykk (sudden movement) · pl kosa (hairstyle) · es trenza (weave of three or more strands) · ru коси́чка (hairstyle) · nb flette (hairstyle) · hy ծամ (weave of three or more strands) · sa वेणिका (hairstyle) · gl crencha (weave of three or more strands) · qu simp'a (weave of three or more strands) · qu pillta (weave of three or more strands) · es cimpa (weave of three or more strands) · sk pletenec (hairstyle) · ar ضَفِيرَة (weave of three or more strands) · udm йырси пунэт (hairstyle) · he צַמָּה (weave of three or more strands) · cmn 辮子 /辫子 (hairstyle) · sa वेणि (hairstyle) · es simpa (hairstyle) · pl warkocz (weave of three or more strands) · fi letti (hairstyle) · cs pletenec (hairstyle) · ga trilseán (hairstyle) · sh pletenica (hairstyle) · ckb کەزی (hairstyle) · sh širit (weave of three or more strands) · de Geflecht (tubular sheath made of braided strands of metal) · sa कूटक (hairstyle) · sl kita (weave of three or more strands) · hu copf (hairstyle) · be каса́ (hairstyle) · acw ضَفيرة (weave of three or more strands) · got 𐍆𐌻𐌰𐌷𐍄𐌰 (hairstyle) · gl crencha (hairstyle) · fa گیس (weave of three or more strands) · alt тулуҥ (hairstyle) · ka ნაწნავი (hairstyle) · es simpa (weave of three or more strands) · mk плетенка (hairstyle) · xsv pīne (weave of three or more strands) · da fletning (hairstyle) · mk плетенка (weave of three or more strands) · uk коса́ (hairstyle) · acm ضَفِيرَة (hairstyle) · es trenza (hairstyle) · hy ծամ (hairstyle) · qu simpa (weave of three or more strands) · sq gërshet (hairstyle) · arz ضفيرة (weave of three or more strands) · sk vrkoč (hairstyle) · fa تافته (hairstyle) · sh pletenica (weave of three or more strands) · is fléttur (hairstyle) · hy հյուս (hairstyle) · de Schutzgeflecht (tubular sheath made of braided strands of metal) · ja 三つ編み (hairstyle) · ro cosiță (hairstyle) · arz ضفيرة (hairstyle) · gl arello (hairstyle) · hy հյուսք (weave of three or more strands) · lv bize (hairstyle) · pl warkocz (hairstyle) · sl kita (hairstyle) · el πλόκαμος (weave of three or more strands) · sv fläta (weave of three or more strands) · ru коса́ (weave of three or more strands) · bg плитка (weave of three or more strands) · de Litze (weave of three or more strands) · ca trena (weave of three or more strands) · de Zopf (hairstyle) · gl cadrelo (weave of three or more strands) · ro coadă (hairstyle) · la plecta (weave of three or more strands) · te జడ (hairstyle) · gl baderna (weave of three or more strands) · ja 組み紐 (weave of three or more strands) · hi चुटिया (hairstyle) · vi bím tóc (hairstyle) · nl vlecht (weave of three or more strands) · de Ruck (sudden movement) · krl kašša (hairstyle) · pl kosa (weave of three or more strands) · sh плетеница (hairstyle) · ar ضَفِيرَة (hairstyle) · fi letti (weave of three or more strands) · izh palmikko (hairstyle) · lv pīne (weave of three or more strands) · acw ضَفيرة (hairstyle) · ko 땋은 머리 (hairstyle) · yi צאָפּ (weave of three or more strands) · ba толом (weave of three or more strands) · gl cadrelo (hairstyle) · te జడ (weave of three or more strands) · nl ruk (sudden movement) · izh letti (hairstyle) · oc trena (hairstyle) · ro împletitură (weave of three or more strands) · de geflochtenes Band (weave of three or more strands) · cmn 辮子 /辫子 (weave of three or more strands) · fr tresse (stranded wire composed of a number of smaller wires) · gl réstea (weave of three or more strands) · hu fonat (weave of three or more strands) · cs cop (hairstyle) · fr natte (hairstyle) · ar جَدِيلَة (hairstyle) · el πλεξίδα (hairstyle) · sa पर्परी (hairstyle) · de Zopf (weave of three or more strands) · it treccia (weave of three or more strands) · th เปีย (hairstyle) · tr örgü (hairstyle) · az hörük (hairstyle) · sa वेणी (hairstyle) · qu simp'a (hairstyle) · sh kika (weave of three or more strands) · ga cleacht (hairstyle) · fr natte (weave of three or more strands) · ro codiță (hairstyle) · fr tresse (hairstyle) · ba толом (hairstyle) · sl pletenica (weave of three or more strands) · no flette (weave of three or more strands) · nl vlecht (hairstyle) · el πλεξίδα (weave of three or more strands) · et pats (hairstyle) · gl carapicho (hairstyle) · gl trinca (weave of three or more strands) · is fléttingur (hairstyle) · es chape (hairstyle) · lt kasa (hairstyle) · hu hajfonat (hairstyle) · fa گیس بافت (weave of three or more strands) · cs cop (weave of three or more strands) · sh кика (weave of three or more strands) · fr tresse (weave of three or more strands) · de Abschirmgeflecht (tubular sheath made of braided strands of metal) · ru коса́ (hairstyle) · fa لاغ (hairstyle) · sa रज्जु (hairstyle)
From Middle English braiden, breided, bræiden, from Old English breġdan (“to move quickly, pull, shake, swing, throw (wrestling), draw (sword), drag; bend, weave, braid, knit, join together; change color, vary, be transformed; bind, knot; move, be pulled; flash”), from Proto-West Germanic *bregdan, from Proto-Germanic *bregdaną (“to flicker, flutter, jerk, tug, twitch, flinch, move, swing”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēḱ-, *bʰrēǵ- (“to shine, shimmer”).
Cognate with Scots Scots brade, Scots braid (“to move quickly or suddenly”), Saterland Frisian braidje (“to knit”), West Frisian breidzje, Dutch breien (“to knit”), Low German breiden, German breiden, Bavarian bretten (“to move quickly, twitch”), Icelandic bregða (“to move quickly, jerk”), Faroese bregða (“to move quickly, react swiftly; to draw (sword)”) and Faroese bregda (“to plaid, braid, twist, twine”).
Meanings
(obsolete, transitive) To make a sudden movement with, to jerk.
(archaic, intransitive) To start into motion.
(transitive) To weave together, intertwine (strands of fibers, ribbons, etc.); to arrange (hair) in braids.
Braid your locks with rosy twine. 1671, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC:
To mix, or make uniformly soft, by beating, rubbing, or straining, as in preparing food.
(obsolete) To reproach; to upbraid.
Great King, / Few loue to heare the ſinnes they loue to act, / T'would brayde your ſelfe too neare for me to tell it […] c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]: