weave

1 of 3

verb (1)

wove ˈwōv How to pronounce weave (audio) or weaved; woven ˈwō-vən How to pronounce weave (audio) or weaved; weaving

transitive verb

1
a
: to form (cloth) by interlacing strands (as of yarn)
specifically : to make (cloth) on a loom by interlacing warp and filling threads
b
: to interlace (threads) into cloth
c
: to make (something, such as a basket) by intertwining
2
: spin sense 2
used of spiders and insects
3
: to interlace especially to form a texture, fabric, or design
4
a
: to produce by elaborately combining elements : contrive
b
: to unite in a coherent whole
c
: to introduce as an appropriate element : work in
usually used with in or into
5
: to direct (something, such as the body) in a winding or zigzag course especially to avoid obstacles

intransitive verb

1
: to work at weaving : make cloth
2
: to move in a devious, winding, or zigzag course especially to avoid obstacles

weave

2 of 3

noun

1
: something woven
especially : woven cloth
2
: any of the patterns or methods for interlacing the threads of woven fabrics
3
: a hair extension (see extension sense 7d)
specifically : a length of natural or synthetic hair that is sewn into one's natural hair after it has been braided into cornrows

weave

3 of 3

verb (2)

weaved; weaving

intransitive verb

: to move waveringly from side to side : sway

Examples of weave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
There were other moments, none especially pointed on their own but hard to ignore once woven together by pop-culture obsessives. Peter C. Baker, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Cotton threads are woven on a large loom at a mill somewhere in Asia, then shipped to a dye house, then shipped (usually a great distance) to a garment factory somewhere else in Asia. Alden Wicker, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 Miko’s love for anime, which she was first drawn to because of her older brother, is woven throughout her work. Frances Solá-Santiago, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Delicate locs were woven into her hair and arranged in a halo effect around the crown of her head. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 Although this album captures a lot of painful moments, it also is woven together with a through line of deep, sincere love. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 Waffle weave shower curtains are a great way to add texture and a spa-like feel to your bathroom. Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2024 Itto now leads a cooperative of women who weave high-quality rugs in the valley of Ait Hamza, which is known for its sheep and wool. Laurel Dalrymple, NPR, 3 Mar. 2024 All the other songs in that first film were woven in with the story and the way they were cut into the scenes, they were all edited together–essentially the scenes were edited with the songs in mind, and vice versa. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
Noun
Its light-catching black weave gives a sporty but elegant look to console covers and door trim inlays. Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 Many Black women get weaves and spend thousands of dollars a year on their hair. Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 And weaves and extensions can be just as expensive. Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Charlene’s provides the community with house beauty and hair care products that are accommodating for all genders which include wigs, weaves, extensions, shampoos, conditioners, hair oil, beard oil and hair wraps. Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 3 Feb. 2024 This was expressed in a variety of ways: embroidery and beading, embellishments such as tufts, and even dimensional materials, where pleats or weaves amplified a flat surface to 3-D. Charlotte Observer, 1 Feb. 2024 Roll the sausage toward you, this time with the bacon weave, until completely wrapped. Tim Engle, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024 Months have been spent tracking the aspirants' bobs and weaves, this tick up or down in polling, that endorsement or defection. TIME, 14 Jan. 2024 While there are a few snags, the weave of the fabric easily hides them. Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2023
Verb
The second act began to weave The Record together with the group’s debut EP boygenius. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2023 The caddy is offered in either brown or gray and is made with a steel frame and resin wicker weave for a stylish touch. Jamie Weissman, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2023 LLMs have an incredible ability to generate unique text, cracking jokes and weaving narratives about imaginary characters. IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2023 Residents line their irrigation ditches with shells, hang blue bottles from trees to ward off evil spirits and weave intricate baskets with seagrass found along the coast. Sara Novak, Scientific American, 6 Apr. 2023 Remove brittle plastic, then weave on new vinyl strapping. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2023 The Emiratis signed on, and Alp operatives began weaving webs of associations linking Islamic Relief officials to the Muslim Brotherhood or to violent extremists. David D. Kirkpatrick, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023 John Stocco, not the most nimble of runners, got outstanding blocking and weaved his way through traffic for the game-winning touchdown with 24 seconds left. Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2023 At a carpet factory in Kabul, women who were former government employees or high school and university students now spend their days weaving carpets. Rahim Faiez, ajc, 9 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'weave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English weven, from Old English wefan; akin to Old High German weban to weave, Greek hyphainein to weave, hyphos web

Verb (2)

Middle English weven to move to and fro, wave; akin to Old Norse veifa to be in movement — more at wipe

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1596, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of weave was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near weave

Cite this Entry

“Weave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weave. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

weave

1 of 2 verb
wove ˈwōv How to pronounce weave (audio) or weaved; woven ˈwō-vən How to pronounce weave (audio) or weaved; weaving
1
a
: to form by lacing together strands of material
especially : to make on a loom by lacing together threads going lengthwise with threads going crosswise
weave cloth
b
: to form into a fabric
weave wool into tweeds
2
: spin entry 1 sense 2b
a caterpillar weaves a cocoon
3
a
: to make by or as if by lacing together parts
wove an exciting adventure tale
b
: to insert as a part : work in
weave a moral into a tale
4
: to move back and forth or from side to side
weaving his way through a crowd of holiday shoppers

weave

2 of 2 noun
: a pattern or method of weaving

More from Merriam-Webster on weave

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