From Middle English, from a variant of plait, from Old French pleit. Doublet of plait.

• IPA^(key): /pliːt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːt

pleat (plural pleats)

1. (sewing) A fold in the fabric of a garment, usually a skirt, as a part of the design of the garment, with the purpose of adding controlled fullness and freedom of movement, or taking up excess fabric. There are many types of pleats, differing in their construction and appearance.
2. A similar fold in a filter, lampshade, or various other products.
3. (botany) A fold in an organ, usually a longitudinal fold in a long leaf such as that of palmetto, lending it stiffness.
4. A plait.

pleat (third-person singular simple present pleats, present participle pleating, simple past and past participle pleated)

1. (transitive) To form one or more pleats in a piece of fabric or a garment.

   Synonym: ruffle

2. To plait.

   pleat my hair

• -petal, Patel, Plate, leapt, lepta, palet, pelta, petal, plate, platé, tepal

pleat

1. third-person singular present active subjunctive of pleō