Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Cloth, often made of wool, with a tartan or checked pattern.
  • noun A pattern of this kind.
  • noun A rectangular woolen scarf of a tartan pattern worn over the left shoulder by Scottish Highlanders.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A garment of woolen cloth, often having a tartan pattern. See tartan.
  • noun In general, any fabric having a pattern consisting of colored bars or stripes crossing each other in imitation of the Scottish tartan.
  • noun A pattern of bars crossing each other at right angles on anything.
  • Ornamented with a pattern of bars or stripes of color crossing one another at right angles: said especially of textile fabrics: as, a plaid silk ribbon; a plaid waistcoat.
  • Checkered.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A rectangular garment or piece of cloth, usually made of the checkered material called tartan, but sometimes of plain gray, or gray with black stripes. It is worn by both sexes in Scotland.
  • noun Goods of any quality or material of the pattern of a plaid or tartan; a checkered cloth or pattern.
  • adjective Having a pattern or colors which resemble a Scotch plaid; checkered or marked with bars or stripes at right angles to one another.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb archaic Simple past tense and past participle of play.
  • adjective Having a pattern or colors which resemble a Scottish tartan; checkered or marked with bars or stripes at right angles to one another.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a cloth having a crisscross design

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Scottish Gaelic plaide.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Alternative forms.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Scots plaid, of uncertain origin; perhaps from a past participle form of ply. Scottish Gaelic plaide ("blanket") is probably a borrowing from Scots.

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Examples

  • During one of my mandatory exercise periods on the ward, I saw a man in plaid pants and an orange shirt holding jovially one-sided conversations with everybody who walked past.

    365 tomorrows » 2009 » May : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2009

  • Covering the cushions in plaid can give it a look that appeals to everyone, if there are objections to floral prints.

    Honoring the Home 2006

  • In an absolutely bizarre post today, PowerLine defends Roberts against gay gags (because he was once caught in plaid pants).

    The unstory « BuzzMachine 2005

  • On the other hand: Was Adamson [Big Country singer-songwriter Stuart Adamson] supposed to play Scot-rock in plaid flannels all his life?

    June 2004 2004

  • School children in plaid uniforms and sanitation workers in blue jumpsuits stood in attendance as government officials made speeches and the priest swung the holy water, climbing inside every vehicle to bless the interiors as well.

    Today was the blessing of the new garbage trucks 2004

  • On the other hand: Was Adamson [Big Country singer-songwriter Stuart Adamson] supposed to play Scot-rock in plaid flannels all his life?

    This Week in Dave Eggers 2004

  • Pearl knew that when Mary was telling a story to the boys she always clothed her leading lady in plaid, and from this she inferred how Mary's tastes ran!

    The Second Chance 1910

  • Belinda in short plaid frocks and long pigtails, and had moreover visualised her as a freckled little girl with thin legs and snub nose, was abashed.

    The Clue of the Twisted Candle Edgar Wallace 1903

  • I saw the glance that fell, scarcely touching, on my plain plaid frock.

    Daisy 1868

  • It lighted on my plain plaid frock and undressed hair.

    Daisy 1868

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