What does plaid mean?
Plaid is a word for checked or striped fabric and, by extension, for garments and household items made from it. It is especially associated with tartan, the traditional patterned woolen cloth linked with Scottish clans, although plaid itself is widely used in both British and American English. As a noun, plaid can refer to a scarf, blanket, or length of patterned cloth; as an adjective, it describes clothing or textiles with such a design. The term can also be used for any checked pattern, not only one associated with a specific Scottish clan. In everyday speech, plaid is often interchangeable with tartan, though the latter more precisely refers to a particular repeating design and its traditional use. Plaid shirts, skirts, blankets, and scarves are common examples of the word’s use.
A piece of woolen cloth woven in a checked or striped pattern, especially tartan; also a scarf or garment made from such fabric.
"The shepherd wrapped a thick plaid around his neck."
In British English, tartan may be preferred for cloth bearing a traditional clan pattern.
Having a checked or tartan-like pattern, especially in a woolen textile.
"She wore a black-and-white plaid coat."
The adjective is common in both British and American English and can describe patterns beyond traditional Scottish tartan.
The plural is used for separate checked fabrics, scarves, blankets, or other items of plaid, especially in clothing descriptions and retail contexts.
"The shop sells plaids in several colors and patterns."
Plaid began as a Gaelic word for a broad piece of woolen cloth, long before it came to mean the familiar checked pattern.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does plaid come from?
The English word comes from Scottish Gaelic plaid, which referred to a broad piece of woolen cloth or blanket. The sense developed through the use of patterned cloth associated with Highland dress and clan tartans. Its later general meaning for checked fabric reflects the extension of the garment and textile senses beyond their specifically Scottish origins.
Related word forms
How plaid is actually used
The noun is especially associated with Scottish and North American textile traditions. In the United States, plaid commonly describes a checked pattern; in Britain, tartan is often preferred when the pattern specifically denotes a clan design.
Easily confused with plaid
A plaid is a patterned textile or an item made from it, whereas a plait is a braided arrangement of hair or another material.