Braid

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Braid

A braid (also called plait
Plait

A plait may mean either:* A braid-like knot* A pleat* Plait , a fold in the columella of a gastropod mollusc* an opensource shell based playlist generator and command line jukebox...
) is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibers, wire, or human hair. Compared to the process of weaving

Weaving

Weaving is the textile arts in which two distinct sets of yarn, called the Warp and the filling or weft , are interlaced with each other to form a textile....
a wide sheet of cloth from two separate, perpendicular groups of strands (warp

Warp

Warp is a verb and noun pertaining to distortion and twisting, and to lines and ropes used in the contexts below.Warp may refer to:...
and weft

Weft

In weaving, weft or woof is the yarn which is drawn under and over parallel Warp yarns to create a textile. In North America, it is sometimes referred to as the "fill" or the "filling yarn", and in India, it is referred to as "baana"....
), a braid is usually long and narrow, with each component strand functionally equivalent in zigzagging forward through the overlapping mass of the others.

The simplest possible braid is a flat, solid three-strand structure.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Braid'

Start a new discussion about 'Braid'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Ropes and cables

Braiding creates a composite rope

Rope

A rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength ....
that is thicker and stronger than the non-interlaced strands of yarn

Yarn

Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibers, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking....
. Braided ropes are preferred by arborist

Arborist

An arborist, arboriculturalist or tree surgeon is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the management and maintenance of ornamental or shade trees....
s and rock climber

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up or across natural Rock formations or man-made climbing wall with the goal of reaching the Summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route....
s because they do not twist under load, as does an ordinary twisted-strand rope. These ropes consist of one or more concentric

Concentric

Concentric object s share the same center , Coordinate axis or Origin with one inside the other. Circles, tubes, cylindrical shafts, Disk s, and spheres may be concentric to one another....
tubular braided jackets surrounding a single untwisted yarn of straight fibers.

In electrical and electronic cable

Cable

A cable is a large fiber or metal rope, used for hauling, lifting, or towing, or an assembly of two or more insulated electrical conductors, laid up together as an assembly....
s, braid is a tubular sheath made of braided strands of metal placed around a central cable for shielding against electromagnetic interference

Electromagnetic interference

Electromagnetic interference is an unwanted disturbance that affects an electrical circuit due to either electromagnetic conduction or electromagnetic radiation emitted from an external source....
. The braid is grounded while the central conductor(s) carry the signal.

Flat braids made of many copper wires are also sometimes 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 rubber

Rubber

Natural rubber is an elastomer?an Elasticity_ hydrocarbon polymer?that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex , found in the sap of some plants....
hoses, such as in plumbing

Plumbing

Plumbing is the skilled trade of working with pipe , Tubing and plumbing fixtures for drinking water systems and the drainage of waste. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping systems, plumbing fixtures and equipment such as water heaters....
and hydraulic brake

Brake

A brake is a device for applying a force against the friction of the road, slowing or stopping the motion of a machine or vehicle, or alternatively a device to restrain it from starting to move again....
systems in automobiles. Braiding is also used for fibres for composite reinforcements.

Other braids

Gold braids and silver braids are components or trims of many kinds of formal dress, including military uniform

Military uniform

Military uniforms comprises standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and Paramilitary of various nations. Military dress and military styles have gone through great changes over the centuries from colourful and elaborate to extremely utilitarian....
(in epaulette

Epaulette

Epaulette is a French language word meaning "little shoulder" . Epaulettes are a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia or military rank by the armed force and other organizations....
s, aiguillette

Aiguillette

An aiguillette is an ornamental braided Cord most often worn on uniforms but may also be observed on other costumes such as academic dress, where it will denote an honor....
s, on headgear).

Metaphors

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

Braiding happens when a river is carrying vast amounts of eroded sediment. Sediment is deposited as islands in the channel causing the river to split up into many winding channels.

In some river and stream systems, small streams join together and redivide in many places. Such stream systems are said to be braided

Braided river

Not to be confused with the River Braid, Ballymena, Northern Ireland. For other uses see Braid .A braided river is one of a number of channel types and has a channel that consists of a network of small channel s separated by small and often temporary islands called braid bars or, in British usage, aits or eyots....
. These are often found in alluvial fan

Alluvial fan

An alluvial fan is a fan -shaped deposition formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain....
s at the outlet of canyon

Canyon

A canyon, or gorge, is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Most canyons were formed by a process of long-time erosion from a plateau level....
s. This is a result of heavy sediment

Sediment

Sediment is any particulate matter that can be sediment transport by fluid dynamics, and which eventually is deposited.Sediments are most often transported by water transported by wind and glaciers....
deposition at high flows followed by re-erosion at low flows. See also river delta

River delta

A delta is a landform that is created at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river....
.

There is also a mathematical braid theory

Braid theory

In topology, braid theory is an abstract geometry theory studying the everyday braid concept, and some generalisations. The idea is that braids can be organised into group s, in which the group operation is 'do the first braid on a set of strings, and then follow it with a second on the twisted strings'....
which is closely connected with knot theory

Knot theory

In mathematics, knot theory is the area of topology that studies knot s. While inspired by knots which appear in daily life in shoelaces and rope, a mathematician's knot differs drastically in that the ends are joined together to prevent it from becoming undone....
, both being subfields of topology

Topology

Topology is a major area of mathematics that has emerged through the development of concepts from geometry and set theory, such as those of space, dimension, shape, transformation and others....
.

Braid

Ropes and cables

Other braids

Metaphors

Gallery

See also