plaid

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A type of twilled woollen cloth, often with a tartan or chequered pattern.
2. (countable, uncountable) 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.
3. (countable, uncountable) The typical chequered pattern of a plaid; tartan.

Adj

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

Verb

simple past and past participle of play

play

• Verb
• Noun

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Synonyms

tartan

checkered

traveling rug

checked pattern

rug

squared

crossbarred cloth

dice

checks

cube

checked

Translations

tessuto scozzese

tartan

tartan

ekose

kariert

manta escocesa

Karomuster

tissu écossais

Gittermuster

kariertes Muster

dau

💀

Würfelmuster

schottisches Plaidtuch

Spielwürfel

Würfel

💀

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pled/

Etymology

Cognate with Scottish Gaelic: plaide

Cognate with Scottish Gaelic: peall

Cognate with Latin: pellis

In summary

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.