Braid

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.

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 and weft).

The braiding technique was used to make ropes[2] with both natural and synthetic fibers as well as coaxial cables for radios using copper wire.

[3] 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).

The oldest known reproduction of hair braiding may go back about 30,000 years: the Venus of Willendorf, a female figurine estimated to have been made between about 28,000 and 25,000 BC in modern-day Austria.

[6][7] Similarly, the practice is recorded in Europe, Africa, India, China, Japan, Australasia and Central Asia.

Early braids had many uses, such as costume decoration, animal regalia (like camel girths), sword decoration, bowls and hats (from palm leaves), locks (such as those made in Japan to secure precious tea supplies through the use of elaborate knots), and weapons (e.g. slings).

Plaiting with kangaroo leather has been a widely practiced tradition in rural Australia since pioneering times.

It is used in the production of fine leather belts, hatbands, bridles, dog leads, bullwhips, stockwhips, etc.

Flat braids made of many copper wires can also be used for flexible electrical connections between large components.