Pleats

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A structured fold in fabric that is created by gathering sections together, often used for both decorative appeal and functional fit
2. A series of evenly spaced tucks in material that are made for aesthetic enhancement or to facilitate draping
3. A design element featuring multiple folds in fabric, typically employed to add volume or interest to clothing or textiles

Etymology: "Pleats" is the plural of "pleat," a noun for the folds pressed or stitched into fabric. The singular came into English from Middle English, where it was a variant of "plait," a word that already meant a fold or a braid. That earlier form traces back to Old French "pleit," and the two English words, "pleat" and "plait," are doublets: they split from the same French ancestor and took separate paths into the language. The split is what makes the pair interesting. "Plait" kept the sense of something plaited or woven together, as in a braid of hair, while "pleat" settled on the sense of a fold made deliberately in cloth. Both words still carry the same core idea of layering material back on itself, which is why a single French word could give English a braid and a crease that look so different today.

Synonyms: folds, tucks, drapes, wrinkles, creases

Antonyms: smooths, flattens, unfolds, stretches, extends