From Middle English pleit, from Anglo-Norman pleit (compare Old French ploit), from Latin plectō, which is akin to Old Norse flétta (Danish flette), Russian плести́ and also to Old English fleohtan, which it displaced.

• IPA: /pleɪt/, /plæt/

plait (plural plaits)

1. A flat fold; a doubling, as of cloth; a pleat.

   a box plait

   • 1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗:

     the plaits and foldings of the drapery

2. A braid, as of hair or straw; a plat.
   • 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC ↗:

     Only the hair as it arched so beautifully from her temples was mixed with silver, and the two simple plaits that lay on her shoulders were filigree of silver and brown.

• pleat

• French: pli
• German: Falte
• Italian: piega, pieghettatura, plissettatura
• Portuguese: dobra, prega
• Russian: скла́дка
• Spanish: pliegue

plait (plaits, present participle plaiting; simple past and past participle plaited)

1. (transitive) To fold; to double in narrow folds; to pleat

   to plait a ruffle

2. (transitive) To interweave the strands or locks of; to braid

   to plait hair

   plaiting rope