Braid

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A braid (also referred to as a plait; /plæt/) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair.^[1] 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

Historically, the materials used have depended on the indigenous plants and animals available in the local area. During the

The oldest known reproduction of hair braiding may go back about 30,000 years: the

Although many cultures want to take sole credit for the braid, they cannot be traced to a single origin. Like how different versions of Cinderella are traceable to nearly every culture, braids, too, are polygenetic. One early example of hair braiding takes place in 1279-1213 BCE as recorded in the story of Isis: "when some of the queen's maidens came to the well, she greeted them kindly and began to braid their hair."^[5]

During the

Braiding is traditionally a social art.^[citation needed] Because of the time it takes to braid hair, people have often taken time to socialize while braiding and having their hair braided. It begins with the elders making simple knots and braids for younger children. Older children watch and learn from them, start practicing on younger children, and eventually learn the traditional designs. This carries on a tradition of bonding between elders and the new generation.

Early braids had many uses, such as costume decoration, animal

Materials that are used in braids can vary depending on local materials. For instance, South Americans used the very fine fibers from the wool of

Braids are also very good for making rope and decorative objects.[9] Complex braids have been used to create hanging fibre artworks.

Gold braids and silver braids are components or trims of many kinds of

Braiding creates a composite rope that is thicker than the non-interlaced strands of

In electrical and electronic cables, braid is a tubular sheath made of braided strands of metal placed around a central cable for shielding against electromagnetic interference. The braid is grounded while the central conductor(s) carries the signal. The braid may be used in addition to a foil jacket to increase shielding and durability. Litz wire uses braids of thin insulated wires to carry high frequency signals with much lower losses from skin effect or to minimise proximity effect in transformers. Flat braids made of many copper wires can also be used for flexible electrical connections between large components. The numerous smaller wires comprising the braid are much more resistant to breaking under repeated motion and vibration than is a cable of larger wires.

Similar braiding is used on pressurized

Onion and garlic stalks are often braided for storage after they are partially dried.^[10][11][12]

Braids are often used figuratively to represent interweaving or combination, such as in, "He braided many different ideas into a new whole."

In some river and stream systems, small streams join and redivide in many places. Such stream systems are said to be braided.^[13] These are often found in alluvial fans at the outlet of canyons. This is a result of heavy sediment deposition at high flows followed by re-erosion at low flows.

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  A coaxial cable with braided copper wire EMI shielding (B)
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  A gold braid on a police uniform
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  A close up of a red braided USB cable.

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