The word plaid has varying but related meanings in the Goidelic languages and has been used to refer to many different things:

• Plaid (pattern), a cross-hatched dyeing pattern often used for wool clothing and distinctly Gaelic.
• Plaid Cymru, the most prominent political party advocating independence for Wales.
• Plaid (band), a British electronic music duo, taking their name from the threads of the fabric.
• Plaid (Carolingian), an assembly held twice a year during the Carolingian era.