pleat

/plit/

/plit/

Other forms: pleated; pleats; pleating

A pleat is a creased fold in fabric. Your long wool coat might have a single pleat in back, down toward the hem.

Some pleats are creased sharply, or even stitched firmly in place, while others are looser. The pleats in a little girl's frilly dress or in a skirt that has pleats all the way around might be called "accordion pleats," while a kilt usually has one "box pleat" in the back, with simple "knife pleats" on either side. Pleat is also a verb, meaning "to make or sew a pleat."

Definitions of pleat

1. noun

   any of various types of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and then pressing or stitching into shape
   synonyms: plait

   types:

   box pleat

   a flat double pleat made by folding under the fabric on either side of it

   inverted pleat

   a box pleat reversed so that the fullness is turned inward

   kick pleat

   pleat in back of a straight skirt to allow ease in walking

   knife pleat

   a single pleat turned in one direction

   tuck

   a narrow flattened pleat or fold that is stitched in place

   dart

   a tapered tuck made in dressmaking

   sunburst pleat, sunray pleat

   knife pleat cut on the bias to produce a flared effect

   type of:

   bend, crease, crimp, flexure, fold, plication

   an angular or rounded shape made by folding
2. verb

   pleat or gather into a ruffle
   synonyms: ruffle

   type of:

   fold, fold up, turn up

   bend or lay so that one part covers the other
3. verb

   fold into pleats, "Pleat the cloth"
   synonyms: plicate

   type of:

   fold, fold up, turn up

   bend or lay so that one part covers the other