A Plaid Is a Garment, Not a Pattern
Plaid is a checked cloth pattern in most English. In Scotland it means a length of cloth worn over the shoulder, and the pattern is called tartan.
Plaid in most English means a pattern of crossed stripes, especially on cloth. In Scotland the distinction is sharper and the other way round: a *plaid* is the long piece of woollen cloth draped over the shoulder, while the checked pattern on it is *tartan*. Scottish Gaelic *plaide* means a blanket, which is what the garment originally was. The word is usually pronounced to rhyme with *had*, not *made*.
- A checked pattern. *A plaid shirt.*
- A shoulder cloth (Scots). *He wore a plaid.*
- Tartan — the Scottish name for the pattern. *Clan tartan.*
- Gaelic — *plaide*, a blanket. *The source.*
- Check — the general term. *A checked cloth.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | plaid | A plaid. |
| Plural | plaids | Plaids. |
| Adjective | plaid | A plaid skirt. |
| Related | tartan | Tartan. |
| Gaelic | plaide | A blanket. |
- He wore a plaid shirt.Pattern.
- The plaid was pinned at the shoulder.Scots sense.
- The pattern is properly called tartan.Distinction.
Plaid, tartan and check
- Tartan — a specific Scottish pattern, often tied to a clan
- Plaid — in Scotland the garment, elsewhere the pattern
- Check — the general word for any crossed-stripe design
- Gingham — an even two-colour check
- Houndstooth — a broken check, not a plaid at all
Scottish Gaelic *plaide*, a blanket, of uncertain further origin. English took it in the 1500s.
Is plaid the same as tartan?
Not in Scotland. There a plaid is the cloth worn over the shoulder and tartan is the pattern woven into it.
How is plaid pronounced?
It rhymes with had, not with made.