plaid

CEFRB2

/plˈæd/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A pattern of crossed lines forming colored squares.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A length of such material used as a piece of clothing, formerly worn in the Scottish Highlands and other parts of northern Britain and remaining as an item of ceremonial dress worn by members of Scottish pipe bands.

Examples

  • Do you sell any trousers lined with plaid flannel?

  • Tom was wearing an ugly plaid jacket and a polka-dot tie.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
2

Also pronounced

  • /plad/
  • /pled/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The typical chequered pattern of a plaid; tartan.

  2. A type of twilled woollen cloth, often with a tartan or chequered pattern.

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. Having a pattern or colors which resemble a Scottish tartan; checkered or marked with bars or stripes at right angles to one another.

More examples

In context

  • 1774, Dr Samuel Johnson, Preface to the Works of the English Poets, J. Nichols, Volume II, Page 134, "...then plaid on the organ, and sung..."

  • In battle, the plaid was customarily shrugged off before the charge bit home, and the warrior came into contact with only his long, saffron shirt (‘leine chrochach’) to preserve modesty.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She wore a blank shirt with a checked pattern of red and black stripes.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Scots plaid, of uncertain origin; perhaps from a past participle form of ply. Scottish Gaelic plaide (“blanket”) is probably a borrowing from Scots. Also compare Scottish Gaelic peall (“covering, veil, blanket”) << Latin pellis (“hide, covering”), but the OED finds the sound changes problematic.