Glossary of Plaid and Tartan Terms
A reference guide to the terminology used throughout this site and in the broader world of plaid, tartan, and woven textiles.
- Ancient
- A color palette for tartan that uses lighter, more muted tones meant to replicate the appearance of tartan dyed with traditional vegetable dyes. Compare with Modern and Weathered.
- Buffalo Check
- A bold check pattern of large, equal-sized blocks in two alternating colors, most classically red and black. See Buffalo Check.
- Check
- A pattern of squares formed by crossing horizontal and vertical stripes, usually in two or three colors. Generally simpler than a plaid or tartan. See Plaid vs. Tartan vs. Check.
- Clan Tartan
- A tartan pattern associated with a specific Scottish clan or family. The modern clan tartan system was largely formalized in the 19th century. See Clan Tartans Guide.
- Colorfast
- Describes a dye that does not bleed or fade when washed. Traditional madras uses dyes that are not fully colorfast.
- Dress Tartan
- A variation of a clan tartan that adds white to the sett, traditionally worn for formal occasions. Originally associated with women's wear in Highland dress.
- Féileadh Beag
- Scottish Gaelic for 'small plaid' — the modern kilt, evolved from the lower portion of the great belted plaid.
- Féileadh Mòr
- Scottish Gaelic for 'great plaid' — the large rectangular piece of tartan cloth worn as a full-body garment in traditional Highland dress. Precursor to the modern kilt.
- Flannel
- A soft fabric (cotton or wool) that has been brushed to raise a fuzzy nap. Not a pattern — flannel can be solid, plaid, or printed. See Flannel Fabric.
- Gingham
- A simple woven check pattern using two colors (usually white and one other), creating a three-tone effect. See Gingham Pattern.
- Glen Plaid
- A complex pattern combining small and large checks, originating from the Glenurquhart estate in Scotland. Also called Prince of Wales Check. See Glen Plaid.
- Houndstooth
- A broken check pattern with distinctive four-pointed tooth-shaped forms at each intersection, created by a specific twill weave arrangement. See Houndstooth Pattern.
- Hunting Tartan
- A version of a clan tartan using darker, more subdued colors designed for outdoor wear and concealment.
- Madras
- A brightly colored, lightweight cotton plaid from Chennai (formerly Madras), India. Traditionally uses vegetable dyes that bleed. See Madras Plaid.
- Modern (color palette)
- A tartan color palette using bright, fully saturated colors achieved with modern chemical dyes. The most common version sold commercially. Compare with Ancient and Weathered.
- Nap
- The raised, fuzzy surface of a brushed fabric like flannel. Created by mechanically brushing the woven fabric to pull fibers up from the surface.
- Overcheck
- An additional stripe or grid pattern layered over a base pattern. In glen plaid, a colored overcheck turns it into a Prince of Wales check.
- Pivot Point
- The point in a symmetrical tartan sett where the color sequence reverses direction, creating a mirror-image pattern.
- Plaid
- In North America, any pattern of crisscrossing horizontal and vertical stripes. In Scotland, a garment — a rectangular piece of tartan cloth worn over the shoulder or as a blanket. See Plaid vs. Tartan vs. Check.
- Selvedge (Selvage)
- The finished edge of a woven fabric that prevents unraveling. On tartan and plaid fabrics, the selvedge often shows the thread colors used in the weave.
- Sett
- The complete repeating unit of a tartan pattern — the sequence of colored threads that defines the design. See How Tartan Is Woven.
- Tartan
- A pattern defined by a specific sett (thread sequence) woven in a twill weave, with the same sett used in both warp and weft. See Tartan Pattern.
- Tattersall
- A check pattern of thin, evenly-spaced lines in two alternating colors on a light background. Named after Tattersall's horse market in London. See Tattersall Check.
- Thread Count
- The numerical specification of a tartan sett, listing each color and the number of threads in each stripe. Maintained by the Scottish Register of Tartans.
- Tweed
- A rough-textured, durable wool fabric traditionally woven in Scotland and Ireland. Often features check, herringbone, or plaid patterns.
- Twill Weave
- A weave structure where each thread passes over two or more threads and under one or more, creating diagonal lines on the fabric surface. Tartan uses a 2/2 twill.
- Warp
- The vertical threads on a loom, held under tension. In tartan, the warp and weft use the same sett sequence.
- Weathered
- A tartan color palette using muted, earthy tones that simulate the appearance of tartan that has been faded by exposure to the elements. Compare with Modern and Ancient.
- Weft
- The horizontal threads woven through the warp on a loom. In tartan, the weft follows the same sett as the warp.
- Windowpane
- A simple plaid pattern of thin, widely-spaced lines forming a grid on a solid background, resembling window panes. See Windowpane Plaid.
- Worsted
- A type of yarn and fabric made from long, combed wool fibers, producing a smooth, crisp textile. Used for suiting and fine garments.