Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Plet, n. Also: plett. [e.m.E. plette (once, 15–16th c.), north. e.m.E. (1641), appar. altered f. Plait n., Plite n.²: cf. Plet v.]

1. a. An intertwining of strands. b. The fact of being intertwined, plaited or braided: in out of plett. 1513 Doug. viii. iv. 203.
The levis from the plettis dovn hyngand 1533 Boece iv. iv. 130.
Religious wemen quhilk in the tempill made seruice … with haris skalit out of plett

2. A braided tress of hair. a1538 Abell 4 b.
Sche left the ta plet of hir hair wnput wp 1627 Dumbarton B. Rec. 13.
[That he] pullit aff hir plettis of hir hair doun

3. In specifying the number of strands of which a braid consists: of thre plettis, of three strands, three-ply; also tua etc. plet used attrib., = of two etc. strands, two-ply.(1) 1566 Treas. Acc. XII. 404.
For thre dosone and ane half of skenyeis of pakthreid of thre plettis(2) 1577 Edinb. Test. V. 246.
xxvj pund wecht twa plet threid price of the pund ij s. vj d. 1583 Ib. XII. 286.
Tua dosane of tua plet stringis of silk 1588 Cal. Sc. P. IX. 672.
iiij dozen tua plet bandis

b. Attrib. in plet werk, = braided work, braid. 1540 Acta Conc. MS. XIII. 83.
Ane chenȝe of gold plet werk & corneling bedis

4. A pleat in a garment. 1538–9 Treas. Acc. VII. 137.
Ane elne of blak sating to be thame plettis 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Lacinia, a plet or rag 1603 Philotus xxix.
Ȝour gownes … ȝe … may … haue them louse with plets and plyis Or clasped clois behind