pleat

1 of 2

verb

ˈplēt How to pronounce pleat (audio)
pleated; pleating; pleats
Synonyms of pleatnext

transitive verb

1
: fold
especially : to arrange in pleats
pleat a skirt
2
: plait sense 2
pleater noun

pleat

2 of 2

noun

: a fold in cloth made by doubling material over on itself
also : something resembling such a fold
pleatless
ˈplēt-ləs How to pronounce pleat (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of pleat in a Sentence

Verb pleat ribbons Noun Her skirt has pleats at the waist.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The skirt also featured a bevy of pleating as well as tassel-like elements to add tension and a contemporary edge to the piece. —Julia Teti, WWD, 24 Oct. 2024 One person, in particular, donned a vibrant orange cotton top with rows of pleating with a vinyl pair of bottoms. —Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 1 Oct. 2024
Noun
It’s got both elastic and a drawstring on the waist — the best combo, in my opinion — and the soft pleats are like ones on casual trousers. —Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024 With tailored details like pleats, belt loops, and a flat front waistband, these pants are appropriate for the office with a blazer or button-down. —Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pleat 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English pleiten, derivative of playte, pleit pleat entry 2

Noun

Middle English playte, pleit, plite, pliȝt "fold, fold in cloth made by doubling over material, wrinkle, braid, strand in a braided cord, unit of measure for cloth," borrowed from Anglo-French pleit, plet, plite, playe "fold, bend, unit of cloth, knot, twist," going back to Vulgar Latin *plictum "something folded," noun derivative from neuter of Latin plictus, variant of plicātus, past participle of plicāre "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

Note: The form plictus is apparently attested as a variant of plicātus in manuscripts of Seneca's letters (see Oxford Latin Dictionary and note at explicit). — The Middle English word shows many spellings and has given rise to markedly diverse outcomes in Modern English. The modern form pleat /plit/ would appear to be a regular development of the French diphthongal spelling pleit (compare Anglo-French pais, peis "peace," fait "feat," etc.). The spelling plait entry 1, if pronounced /pleɪt/, either retains the diphthong (until merger with /ɛ:/ from Middle English long a) or represents some other alteration. If pronounced /plæt/, the word is in effect a spelling variant of plat entry 2, a noun derivative of plat entry 1. In addition, there is plet, going back to later Middle English plet, plette, which the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, characterizes as now "chiefly Scottish and Irish English"; it may result from shortening of the form with /ɛ:/ that gave rise to pleat.

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pleat was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing pleat

Dictionary Entries Near pleat

pleasurist

pleat

pleater tape

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Pleat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleat. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

pleat

1 of 2 verb
ˈplēt How to pronounce pleat (audio)
1
: to fold or arrange in pleats
pleat a skirt
2
: braid entry 1 sense 1
pleater noun

pleat

2 of 2 noun
: a fold (as in cloth) made by doubling material over on itself

More from Merriam-Webster on pleat

Nglish: Translation of pleat for Spanish Speakers

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