Embraid

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To twist together multiple strands, creating a decorative pattern or texture that enhances appearance
2. To interlace strands of thread or fiber to form an ornamental design with a textured appearance
3. To weave together multiple fibers in a twisting manner to create a visually pleasing pattern

Etymology: "Embraid" is formed from the prefix "em-" and the verb "braid." The prefix "em-" is a variant of "en-," a form that turns a noun or verb into one meaning "to put into, cover with, or make into," as in "embed" or "enlarge." Attaching it to "braid," the older sense of which was to plait or weave strands together, produces a verb meaning to interlace strands into a decorative pattern. The base word "braid" is itself the more useful thread to pull. It comes from Old English "bregdan," meaning to move quickly, to pull or snatch, and to weave, so the idea of quick, interlacing motion sits at its root. Over time that weaving sense narrowed to the plaiting of hair, cord, or thread that we now recognize, and "embraid" preserves the older, more general meaning of interlacing that the simpler word has largely lost.

Synonyms: intertwine, weave