arch. Also 7 breade, bred, 8 breed, bread. [A variant of BRAID sb., in 16–17th c. bread(e; used archaically by modern poets. Cf. BREDE v.3]
1. Anything plaited, entwined or interwoven; a plait; interweaving, braiding, embroidery; = BRAID sb. 4.
1643. Milton, Divorce, I. vi. (1851), 33. His silk’n breades untwine, and slip their knots.
1689. Lond. Gaz., No. 2444/4. He had on … a blew Rateen Wastcoat with Silver Brede.
1697. Dryden, Ess. Georg., Virg. (1721), I. 201. A curious Brede of Needle-work.
1820. Keats, Lamia, I. Spoilt all her silver mail and golden brede.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, VI. 118. In glowing gauze and golden brede.
1861. Lowell, Washers of Shroud, iv. The ancient Three … Still crooning, as they weave their endless brede.
2. A twist or plait of hair: see BRAID, sb. 4 b.
1696. Kennett, Rom. Antiq., II. IV. (1713), 253. They made use of a twist or brede of hair.
a. 1721. Prior, Henry & Emma, 426. Thy comely tresses … In graceful breeds, with various ribbon bound.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, iii. (1749), 163. Her plaited Hair behind her in a Brede Hung careless.
3. Applied by the poets to things that show or suggest interweaving of colors, or embroidery, esp. to the prismatic coloring of the rainbow. But used by some modern writers in sense of ‘coloring, dye,’ apparently from misunderstanding their predecessors.
1708. J. Philips, Cyder, II. 67. The show’ry Arch, With lifted Colours gay … Delights, and puzles the Beholders Eye, That views the watry Brede.
1744. Akenside, Pleas. Imag., II. 118. Thro’ the brede Of colours changing from the splendid rose To the pale violet’s dejected hue.
1867. Jean Ingelow, Story of Doom, I. 21. The almug, and the gophir shot their heads Into the crimson brede that dyed the world.
1869. Lowell, Seaweed, iv. The same wave that rims the Carib shore With momentary brede of pearl and gold.
4. Comb. brede-stitch (improp. bred-, bread-).
1640. J. Taylor (Water P.), Praise Needle (ed. 12), Pref. Chain-Stitch, Brane Bred-stitch, Fishes-stitch, Irish-stitch, Queen-stitch.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xi. They understand their needle, breadstitch … and all manner of plainwork.
