Forms: 1 bræʓd-, brǽd-, bréd-, (1–2 ʓebreʓd, ʓebræʓd), 3–6 breid(e, 4–5 breyd(e, 4–6 brayd(e, braide, 5–6 brade, 6 (bray), 6–7 breade, 7 (bredd), 4– braid. [Partly:—OE. bræʓd- = ON. bragð neut.:—OTeut. bragdo-m, f. str. vb. *bregdan, bragd (see BRAID v.1), and partly aphet. form of OE. ʓebreʓd, f. breʓdan to BRAID. All the senses are closely paralleled by those of ON. bragð, which may possibly to some extent have influenced the Eng. word. The archaic BREDE sb.3 used in modern poetry (in sense 4) began as a mere orthographical variant of braid (breade).]
I. Sudden movement.
† 1. A sudden or brisk movement; a start, jerk; a twist, wrench, strain. Obs. (cf. BRAID v.1 I.]
[a. 1000. Phœnix, 57 (Gr.). Nis þær … ne winterʓeweorp ne wedra ʓebreʓd.]
1297. R. Glouc., 22. Þer was mony a strong breid, so þat ribbes þre Þe geant brek of Corineus.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7169. Sampson … gaue a braid [v.r. breid] sa fers and fast, Þat all þe bandes of him brast.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1166. Sche waylith and sche makith manye a breyde.
c. 1430. How Good wife taught Dau., in Babees Bk. (1868), 41. Go þi silf þerto & worche an houswijfes brayde.
c. 1485. Digby Myst., III. (1882), 1148. Loke, boy, þou do it with a brayd!
1626. in Hum., Wit & Sat. 17th C. (1883), 384. The woman being afraid, gave a braid with her head.
† b. A sudden assault or onset, an attack. Obs.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 1925. Ilk man … Aght to drede Þe bitter dedes brayde.
c. 1430. Syr Gener., 3805. Of that braide Abel was war, That the baner of Perse bare.
1565. Golding, Ovid’s Met., XIII. (1593), 301. To have Ulisses ever as companion at the braid.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XVIII. ii. 106. Whither in that doubtfull braid they were driven.
c. An aim to strike, the launching of a blow; sometimes a blow.
c. 1450[?]. Kyng & Hermit, 364, in Hazl., E. P. P. (1864), 26. The frere … gafe the coppe sych a breyd, That well nyh of iȝede.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XIII. Prol. 147. Syne to me wyth his club he maid ane braid. [Still in this sense in mod. Scotch.]
† d. fig. An outburst of passion, envy or anger; a freak, a whim. Obs.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 54. Thei … fytithe ayenst … the braydes of the fyre of lecherye.
c. 1500. New Notbroune Mayd, 435, in Hazl., E. P. P., III. 18. His irous brayde Wyll not be layed.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 442/2. He bringeth … onely a rashe maliciouse frantike braide.
1540. Hyrde, Vives’ Instr. Chr. Wom. (1592), U iv. You women … weene to gouverne … nations with the braids of your stomackes.
† 2. transf. [Cf. ON. auga-bragð ‘twinkling of an eye,’ moment.] A moment, short space of time. In the phrases at, in a braid the meaning varies between 1 and 2. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 16722. Þe toþer theif him gaf ansuer, and blamed him a-braid.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 539. Vche best at a brayde [hyȝez] þer hym best lykez.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst. (1841), 231. He wylle byn here within a brayde.
c. 1430. Syr Tryam., 78. ‘Owt upon the, thefe!’ sche seyde in that brayde.
1592. Chester Pl. (1847), II. 155. Now goe we forthe all in a breade.
1657. Trapp, Comm. Job xlii. 16. For a short braid of adversity.
II. A trick, deception.
† 3. An adroit turn; a trick or subtilty. (Cf. BRAID v.1 II.; ON. bregðask to change unexpectedly, disappoint, deceive; OE. bræʓd-boʓa a deceitful bow; also F. tour a ‘turn,’ a trick). Obs.
[c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xiii. 22. ʓebræʓdas ðæra wlenca underdelfes þæt word.]
a. 1000. Thorpe’s Laws, I. 160 (Bosw.). He hit dyde butan brede [v.r. brede] and biʓswice.
c. 1250. Bestiary, 672, in O. E. Misc., 21. Ðis elp he reisen on stalle; and tus atbrested ðis huntes breid.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 164. Full stille away he went, þat was a theues braid.
1570. Redforde, Songs (1848), 60. Beware, good maides, Of all such braydes.
III. Plait.
4. Anything plaited, interwoven or entwined; esp. A plait of human hair. In 19th c. sometimes applied to the flat bands of hair, worn at one time by ladies over the side of the face, as in early portraits of Queen Victoria.
1530. Palsgr., 200/2. Braydes of a womans heer, tresses.
1564. Golding, Justine, 54 (R.). He [Alexander] cutte the wrethes [of the Gordian knot] a sonder with a sworde, and … found the endes of the knottes wythin the braides.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, iii. (1749), 163. Her plaited Hair behind her in a Brede Hung careless.
1834. M. Scott, Cruise Midge (1859), 272. Her hair plaited in three distinct braids that hung down her back.
1864. Soc. Sc. Rev., The hair is done up in a braid at the back.
1865. Trollope, Belton Est., i. 11. Wearing on her brow thin braids of false hair.
b. Since the 17th c. the variant BREDE has been used poetically in the sense of ‘plait,’ and modern writers also use braid in the transferred and vague senses, mentioned under BREDE sb.3 3.
[1643. Milton, Divorce, vi. Wks. (1851), 33. His siik’n breades untwine, and slip their knots.
1697. Dryden, Ess. Georg., Virg. (1721), I. 201. A curious Brede of Needle-work.]
1708. J. Philips, Cyder, II. 67.
| And puzles the Beholder’s Eye | |
| That views the watry Brede. |
c. 1800. K. White, Contempl., 71. We’ll watch, in eve’s ethereal braid.
c. 1818. Heber, To Hairbell. Most I love thine [the hairbell’s] azure braid.
1856. Bryant, Ages, xxvi. All blended, like the rainbow’s radiant braid.
5. A string or band with which the hair is confined or entwined.
1576. Gascoigne, Steele Gl., Epil. 12. But curle their lockes with bodkins and with braids.
1634. Milton, Comus, 863. In twisted braids of lilies knitting The loose train of thy amber-dropping hair.
1717. Pope, Sappho & P., 85. Nor braids of gold the varied tresses bind.
1799. Coleridge, Dark Ladie. My jet black hair in pearly braids.
1816. Scott, Jock o’ Hazeld., iii. A chain of gold ye sall not lack Nor braid to bind your hair.
1830. Tennyson, Day-Dream, 82. Jet-black hair … streaming from a braid of pearl.
6. mod. A woven fabric of silken, woollen, cotton, gold or silver thread in the form of a band, used for trimming or binding articles of dress.
1706. Phillips, Braid, a small Lace, a Chain, or Edging.
1868. Ladies’ Treasury, 9. Morning dress … trimmed in pattern with black mohair braid.
1882. Beck, Draper’s Dict., Braid … not properly solely applicable to the fillet or binding which the name now represents.
b. A narrow flat band woven of linen thread, with an open-work border on each side, used to form the outline of the pattern in point-lace work. Honiton braids: braids intended for use in making Honiton lace.
1874. Cassell’s Househ. Guide, I. 225. The materials required will be … several yards of point lace braid.
1886. Daily News, 17 May, 3/6. Honiton braids are dull of sale.
7. Comb. as braid-comb, ‘a back comb for a lady’s hair.’
