Plaits

Plaits is primarily the plural form of plait, meaning a braid formed by interweaving strands such as hair, thread, or rope. The term is used for a variety of braided patterns and the act of braiding itself. In addition to hair, plaits appear in textiles, cords, and decorative trims, where multiple strands are woven together to create a single, interlaced structure.

In hairstyling and cultural contexts, plaits come in many forms, including three-strand plaits, French plaits, Dutch plaits, and fishtail plaits. Braiding is an ancient technique found in cultures around the world, where patterns can convey practical purposes, aesthetic preference, or cultural meaning. Plaits are valued for their durability, versatility, and ability to manage hair or join materials into a unified strand.

Plaits also refers to a modern electronics product in music technology. Plaits is a digital macro-oscillator module for Eurorack modular synthesizers produced by Mutable Instruments. It offers multiple synthesis models spanning subtractive, FM, physical modeling, granular, wavetable, and other sound-generation approaches. The module is designed to be a versatile voice for electronic music, with control over timbre and other sound characteristics, and is part of the lineage surrounding Mutable Instruments’ Braids line of synthesis modules.