Editing Braid (section)

{{Short description|Structure of strands of flexible material}}
{{Other uses|Braid (disambiguation)|Plait (disambiguation)|Braid (hairstyle)}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2015}}
[[Image:Braid final rot.jpg|thumb|A braid]]

A '''braid''' (also referred to as a '''plait'''; {{IPAc-en|p|l|æ|t}}) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Braiding technology for textiles|last=Kyosev|first=Yordan|publisher=Woodhead Publishing|year=2014|isbn=9780857091352}}</ref>
The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-stranded structure. More complex patterns can be constructed from an arbitrary number of strands to create a wider range of structures (such as a fishtail braid, a five-stranded braid, rope braid, a [[French braid]] and a waterfall braid). The structure is usually long and narrow with each component strand functionally equivalent in zigzagging forward through the overlapping mass of the others. It can be compared with the process of [[weaving]], which usually involves two separate perpendicular groups of strands ([[Warp (weaving)|warp]] and [[weft]]).

Historically, the materials used have depended on the indigenous plants and animals available in the local area. During the [[Industrial Revolution]], mechanized braiding equipment was invented to increase production. The braiding technique was used to make [[rope]]s<ref>{{Cite book|chapter=Braiding processes for braided ropes|last1=Michael|first1=M.|last2=Kern|first2=C.|last3=Heinze|first3=T.|pages=225–243|doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-100407-4.00009-0|title = Advances in Braiding Technology|year = 2016|isbn = 9780081009260}}</ref> with both natural and synthetic fibers as well as [[coaxial cable]]s for radios using [[Copper wire and cable|copper wire]].<ref>{{Cite book|chapter=Lever arm braiding|last1=Kyosev|first1=Y.|last2=Müller|first2=B.|pages=209–222|doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-100407-4.00008-9|title = Advances in Braiding Technology|year = 2016|isbn = 9780081009260}}</ref> In more recent times it has been used to create a covering for fuel pipes in jet aircraft and ships (first using [[glass fibre]], then stainless steel and [[Kevlar]]). Hoses for domestic plumbing are often covered with stainless steel braid.