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pleat

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Searchable Lemmata: plecta (L), plicare (L), plexus (L), plier (AF), pliter (AF), pleiten (ME), pleit (ME), plet(h) (W), plet (OScots), pleat (MdE).
Alternate Forms: ipleite, ipleited, plaer, plaier, plaited, plaiten, platten, plattud, plectendis, plectentes, plectis, pleed, pleer, pleie, pleier, pleited, plet, plexis, plexus, plia, plica, plite, ploier, plyte, yplited.

    Definitions and Defining Citations:

1(vb.) Manufacture; to fold; to plait or twine; to weave. Regularly appears as a past participle (pleited, ipleite, etc.), meaning pleated, folded, fastened, fixed, etc.; woven, interlaced, etc. Also used figuratively. Cf. entry for plait (v.).(ante 750 still in current use)
1. texendis et plectendis vario colore inanis gloriae vestibus [DMLBS Conc. (HS III 369) 747]
2. Un paille grant, pleed estreit Biblical/Hagiographic. [AND S Thom1 (34) circa 1184]
3. [2647] ... Ses dras de seie pleie e ovre ... [2680] ... Un afiçail ovré d’or fin Arthurian, Poetic, Romance. [AND Trist ((D) 2647- 2680) circa 1150/1200]
4. confundatur qui operantur linum, plectentes et texentes subtilia! [DMLBS O. CHERITON (Par. 156) ante 1247]
5. Thise woordes seide sche, and with the lappe of hir garnement, yplited in a frownce, sche dryede myn eien. Philosophy, Poetic. [MED Chaucer Bo. ((Benson-Robinson) 1.pr.2.30) ante 1425]
6. [643] ... draps appellés ... frisez d'Irland et de Galys ... [644] ... Item monstrent les communes de vostre roialme, qe come par estatuit et ordinance faitz deins vostre roialme en l'an vij[me] de vostre gracious regne, chescun court drape fait en les parties de westcuntre dedeins vostre roialme teignereit par assise la longure de .xxviij. verges par le crest, et chescune dozein de draps la longure de .xiiij. verges par le crest, et les raies conteignerent en longure par le list mesures mesme la longure: c'estassavoir, le drape entier .xxviij. verges, et le dozein .xiiij. verges; et certeins persones ulnerers, a ce assignez parmy vostre roialme, preignantz lour charge en vostre escheqer de bien et loialment sanz fraude sercher et surveier tiels ... [645] ... tielx draps & duisseins ... pur conceler icest deceyt du mesure les suis ditz gentz ency fesantz tiels draps & duisseins les facent pliter & takker ensemble Legal. [AND RotParl1 (iii 643-5) 1410]
7. apparuit ei diabolus in specie capti cum crinibus plexis nimis Historic. [DMLBS HERRISON (Abbr. Chr. 13) 1377/1469]
8. Plexus: folden or plattud. Gloss. [MED *Medulla ((Stnh A.1.10) 50b/a) ante 1475]
c.f.: fold, plait
AF, L, ME, MdE, OScots, W; Primarily N/A.
Sex: N/A    Use: n/a    Status: n/a    Rank: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
2a(n.) Manufacture; pleat or fold, made by doubling textile upon itself, and pressing or stitching it on the wrong side creating a semi-permanent or permanent effect. With regard to hair: a plait or braid. Also cf. plight.(circa 1440 still in current use)
1. Þe pleitis of wommen heer ben I-knytt & I-bounde wiþ laces þat hatten discriminalia in latyn ... Wommen here is I-delid & I-sched & I-pleited & I-bounde with lacys [MED *Trev.Barth. ((Add 27944) 66b/b) ante 1389]
2. [402] ... Playte, of a clothe: Plica, plicatura ... Playtyd: Plicatus. Playtyn: Plico ... [406] ... Plunket [KC adds: coloure]: Jacinctus ... [408] ... Ponyet, of a sleue: Premanica, mantus Gloss. [MED PParv. ((Hrl 221) 402-408) 1440]
3. Þis fend ... went oute of þe maydyn & come in-to a plite of þe gown [MED Alph.Tales ((Add 25719) 333/16) circa 1450]
4. Semyd me hir surcot verry straunge, For ... as the playtis vp and downe arayse, So did dyuerse the hewe in sondry wise Poetic. [MED ?C.d'Orl.Poems ((Hrl 682) 167/4984) circa 1450]
5. A ffalde of clothe: plica Gloss. [MED *Cath.Angl. ((Add 15562) 44a) circa 1475]
L, ME, MdE, OScots, W; Primarily N/A.
Sex: N/A    Use: n/a    Status: n/a    Rank: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:

    Etymological Evidence:

Speculative, Cf. the Middle English noun pleit, from Latin plectum; AF plier, pliter, Old French pleiier, etc.; the Latin verb plicare, plicere, plectere, etc. The ME variant platten is influenced by the ME verb platen, to plate or cover - cf. entry for plait (v.). Also cf. plight.
WF:
Etym Cog: pliter (AF), pleat (MdE).
References:

    Archaeological Evidence:

Pleated cloth in Anglo-Saxon England dates back to at least the seventh century, when it was probably used for veils. It was used for some women's overdresses at Birka, Sweden, a Viking Age cemetery site. Coatsworth, E. and G. R. Owen-Crocker (2007), pp. 20, 62, 74, 91-2.
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