PlaidisaScotslanguagewordmeaningblanket,usuallyreferringtopatternedwoollencloth;itisuncleariftheGaelicwordPlaidecamefirst.Sometimes,mostlyinEngland,thiswordisspelledPlad.
- InBritishEnglish,particularlyinScotland,aplaidoraplaidrugisalargethickwoollentwillcloth,oftentartan,usedasatravelrugorasablanket.Itmaybelaidonthegroundasatableclothforapicnic.
- Whenthemodernkiltiswornasadressuniform,forexamplebypipebandDrummajors,aplaidisapleatedclothinthesametartanasthekilt,castovertheshoulderandfastenedatthefront.AsimilarplaidincheckedclothwasformerlywornbyScottishlowlandsshepherds.
- Historicallytheearlierformofthekiltwasthebeltedplaid,adoublewidthofthickwoollenclothwornpleatedandfastenedaroundthewaistbyabelt,withtheupperhalfoftencastovertheshoulderbutsometimeshangingdownoverthebeltandgatheredupatthefrontorbroughtupovertheheadforprotectionagainstweather.Thiswaswornoveraleine(orshirt)andformedacheapall-weatheroutfitthatalsoservedasablanketorbedrollforwildcamping.ItismostlyassociatedwiththeScottishhighlands,butwasalsousedinpoorlowlandruralareas.
- InAmericanEnglish,plaidisclothmadewithalternatingstripesandbandsofcolorwovenintoordyedontothefabric.Thismakesblocksofcolorthatrepeatverticallyandhorizontallyinapatternofsquaresandlines.
- PlaidisthenameofaBritishelectronicmusicduo,takingtheirnamefromthethreadsofthefabric.
