🧵 To fold fabric 🧵 A fabric fold

to pleat

13 4.4

To fold fabric into narrow even folds to shape clothing

verb
/plit/

: plisar

So I'm going to sort of like pleat the corduroy on top, if that makes any sense.
pleated skirt
pleated sheet

Examples

Did you... did you pleat those jeans?

American Sniper (2014)
I sewed in with these metallic threads all over a wool and then I pleated it and I left the edges frayed.
She decided to pleat the fabric for the dress to give it a stylish look.
Before sewing the curtains, he chose to pleat the edges for a neat finish.
To create a more fitted appearance, she will pleat the material at the waistline.

Synonyms

to ruffle

vsto pleat

5 4.5

Gather cloth into small folds to make a decorative edge

uses precise regular narrow folds for structure instead of soft frills

to plicate

vsto pleat

Specialized

9.9

To fold cloth or paper into small, even folds

is the common practical action of making even narrow decorative folds

to ruche

vsto pleat

Specialized

9.9

To gather fabric into small folds to make a decorative edge on clothes

focuses on even narrow folds for shaping and decoration rather than ruffles

to full

vsto pleat

Specialized

9.9

To add folds or gathers to fabric so a garment hangs with more material

employs even narrow decorative folds mainly for shape rather than fullness

to ruff

vsto pleat

9.3

To gather small folds in cloth to make a decorative edge

uses regular narrow folds across material, not only along an edge

Compounds

box pleat

Specialized

6.4

Two folds in cloth turned under to form a flat box shape

knife pleat

Specialized

6.3

A narrow fold in cloth pressed flat in one direction, often used in skirts

kick pleat

Specialized

7.9

A short fold at the back of a straight skirt or coat that lets you walk easily

inverted pleat

Specialized

6.9

A fold in cloth where two folds meet and the extra fabric is turned inward

sunburst pleat

Specialized

9.1

A narrow diagonal fold in fabric that fans outward in a skirt

sunray pleat

Specialized

8.9

A narrow fold in cloth cut across at an angle that fans out like sun rays

How Folded

to gather

Specialized

36 6.1

to pleat

13 4.4

Surface Forms

pleat infinitive

pleated past

pleated past participle

pleating present participle

pleats third person singular

Etymology

Pleat as a verb comes from an old word plicare meaning 'to fold' and shares the same root as the common English verb ply, so to pleat cloth is to fold it into neat, even layers for shape or decoration.