plaid

noun

ˈplad How to pronounce plaid (audio)
Synonyms of plaidnext
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 How to pronounce plaid (audio)
adjective

Examples of plaid in a Sentence

She likes to wear plaids.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Roll the sleeves up to show off the chic plaid lining, or keep them down for a more minimalist look. — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 21 June 2026 Resident Tara Safaie brought in one of her favorite Ralph Lauren plaid shirts. — Molly McCrea, CBS News, 12 June 2026 Willie Nelson wears Rockmount’s signature shadow plaid shirts, as well as one with a marijuana plant on it. — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 8 June 2026 Floating into her new school on a bubble of positivity that will stubbornly refuse to burst, Elle is a spot of color in a sea of black and plaid. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for plaid

Word History

Etymology

Scottish Gaelic plaide

First Known Use

1512, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plaid was in 1512

Phrases Containing plaid

Rhymes for plaid

See All Rhymes for plaid

Browse Nearby Words

plaice
plaid
plaided
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plaid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaid. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

plaid

noun
ˈplad How to pronounce plaid (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on plaid

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for plaid

Nglish: Translation of plaid for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All