weave
gb/wˈiv/ us/wˈiv/
B1
English
~ 5500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
interlace threads to make material
to make cloth or other things by crossing threads or strips over and under each other
Usage pattern:
to weave [material] (from [threads/fibers])
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "weave" with "knit" or "sew". "Weave" means to cross threads or strips over and under each other to make a piece of material, while "knit" uses yarn with needles, and "sew" means to join pieces of fabric with a needle and thread. Another common mistake is verb forms: the past tense is "wove" and the past participle is "woven", not *weaved* in this sense.
Synonyms
interlace (More general and technical; does not strongly suggest making cloth.)
|
plait (Often used for hair or straw; less common for making fabric.)
Antonyms
unravel (Describes taking apart woven or knitted threads, the opposite of creating woven material.)
Collocations
weave cloth
|weave a basket
|weave a rug
|weave fabric
|weave by hand
|weave on a loom
Themes
crafts
|work
|objects
|clothing
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- She weaves beautiful scarves on a small loom.
- The villagers still weave baskets by hand for the market.
- This fabric is woven from silk and cotton.
- They weave the threads tightly to make the cloth stronger.
Learner examples
- My grandmother weaves clothes at home.
- He learns how to weave a small basket.
- The woman weaves a rug on the floor.
Verb
B1
action
2
move in and out while going
to move forward by going in and out between people, cars, or things
Usage pattern:
to weave through [people/traffic/objects]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "weave" with "wave" because they sound similar. "Weave" is about movement through space, often in a zigzag line, while "wave" usually means moving your hand or something back and forth. Some learners also say *drive zigzag* instead of "weave through traffic".
Synonyms
zigzag (Focuses on the shape of the path; less on moving between other things.)
|
thread (As in "thread your way"; slightly more formal and careful in tone.)
Antonyms
go straight (Describes moving without changing direction or going around obstacles, the opposite of weaving through them.)
Collocations
weave through traffic
|weave through the crowd
|weave in and out
|cars weaving
|weave around obstacles
Themes
movement
|transport
|daily life
|transportation
|daily_life
Examples
- The cyclist wove through the heavy traffic.
- She wove through the crowd to reach the stage.
- The drunk driver was weaving all over the road.
- We had to weave around parked cars to get through the street.
Learner examples
- The boy weaves through the people in the market.
- Cars weave through traffic in the city.
- She weaves around the chairs to get to the door.
Verb
B2
action
3
combine elements into a rich story
to make a story or explanation by bringing many ideas or details together in a careful way
Usage pattern:
to weave [a story/plot/explanation] (into [something])
Common mistake:
Learners may try to say *build a story* or *mix a story* in contexts where native speakers prefer "weave a story" or "weave something into a story". Also, they sometimes forget the object and say *He weaves well* when they mean "He weaves stories well" or "He weaves ideas together well."
Synonyms
interweave (More formal and technical; strongly emphasizes the mixing of elements.)
|
blend (Suggests mixing things smoothly; less focus on complexity and structure.)
Antonyms
separate (Means to keep things apart or take them apart, the opposite of combining them into one story or explanation.)
Collocations
weave a story
|weave a tale
|weave a narrative
|weave a plot
|weave together ideas
|weave themes into
Themes
communication
|art
|media
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The author weaves several plot lines into one powerful novel.
- He skillfully weaves history and fiction in his book.
- The speaker wove personal stories into her presentation to keep the audience interested.
- The film weaves together themes of family, loss, and hope.
Learner examples
- The writer weaves many short stories into one book.
- The teacher weaves jokes into his lesson.
- The movie weaves love and war into one story.
Noun
B2
entity
4
hairstyle with hair extensions
a hairstyle where extra hair is put into your own hair to make it longer or thicker
Usage pattern:
to get/wear [a weave]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "weave" with "wig". A wig is a full head of hair you can take off, while a weave is hair that is attached to your own hair, often by sewing or braiding. Some also incorrectly use a plural *hairs* and say *many weaves* when talking about individual strands, instead of using the uncountable noun "hair".
Synonyms
hair extensions (More general; can refer to clip-in or other methods, not only styles called a "weave".)
Antonyms
natural hair (Refers to hair without added pieces, the opposite of using a weave.)
Collocations
get a weave
|wear a weave
|sew-in weave
|full weave
|hair weave
Themes
appearance
|fashion
|daily life
|body
|daily_life
Examples
- She decided to get a weave for the wedding.
- Her weave looks very natural and suits her face.
- The salon specializes in sew-in weaves.
- He spent hours maintaining his weave so it would last longer.
Learner examples
- She has a long black weave.
- I will get a new weave next week.
- Her weave is soft and shiny.
Noun
B2
entity
5
structure or pattern of fabric
the way threads cross each other in cloth
Usage pattern:
the [tight/loose/plain] weave of [fabric]
Common mistake:
Learners may use "pattern" when they really mean the structure of the threads, for example saying *a strong pattern* instead of "a tight weave". "Pattern" usually refers to printed designs like stripes or flowers, not to how the threads cross.
Synonyms
texture (Refers more generally to surface feel; only sometimes overlaps with the specific thread pattern.)
Antonyms
knit (Describes fabric made by looping yarn rather than weaving threads, a contrasting method of construction.)
Collocations
tight weave
|loose weave
|plain weave
|twill weave
|open weave
Themes
crafts
|design
|objects
|clothing
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- This cloth has a very tight weave and feels heavy.
- The loose weave makes the fabric breathable in hot weather.
- Twill weave is strong and durable, so it's used for jeans.
- The fine weave of this shirt gives it a smooth texture.
Learner examples
- This shirt has a fine weave.
- A tight weave keeps you warm.
- The weave of this cloth is open.
Verb
B2
action
6
attach extra hair to hair
to put extra hair into someone’s own hair to make it longer or thicker
Usage pattern:
to weave [extensions/extra hair] into [someone]'s hair
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use the regular past tense *weaved* ("She *weaved* my hair") for this salon meaning because it feels separate from the cloth sense. Many speakers still use the irregular forms "wove" and "woven" here, although "weaved" is also heard informally.
Synonyms
attach extensions (Directly names the action; more explanatory and less tied to salon jargon.)
Antonyms
remove extensions (Describes taking the added hair out, the opposite of weaving it in.)
Collocations
weave hair
|weave in extensions
|weave extensions into
|have your hair woven
Themes
appearance
|fashion
|daily life
|body
|daily_life
Examples
- The stylist wove blonde extensions into her hair.
- They carefully weave the hair close to the scalp.
- She had her hair woven for the photo shoot.
- The salon can weave colored strands into your natural hair.
Learner examples
- The hairdresser weaves long hair into her short hair.
- He weaves red strands into her black hair.
- She will weave extensions into my hair.
Noun
C1
event
7
side-to-side unsteady movement
a side-to-side way of moving forward, often not straight or steady
Usage pattern:
a [slight/drunken/gentle] weave
Synonyms
zigzag (Describes a repeated left-right movement; more about the path than the quality of steadiness.)
Antonyms
straight line (Moving without side-to-side motion, the opposite of a weave.)
Collocations
a slight weave
|a drunken weave
|the car's weave
Themes
movement
|transport
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The car's slight weave worried the police officer.
- I could see a drunken weave in his walk.
- The boat moved with a gentle weave on the waves.
Learner examples
- The car has a strange weave on the road.
- His walk has a slow weave after drinking.
- The boat makes a small weave in the water.
Grammar
Dictionary form
weave
IPA
GB/wˈiv/
US/wˈiv/
Syllables & stress
weave (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (weave)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: weave
Verb
- Base: weave, wove
- 3rd Person Singular: weaves
- Present Participle: weaving
- Past: weaved, wove
- Past Participle: woven
Word family
Forms
weaves
verb
weaving
verb
weaved
verb
wove
verb
woven
verb
Core family
weaver
noun B2
Advanced or less common
interweave
verb C1
Highlights
- Irregular past participle: woven Verb
Expressions
bob and weave
1/bˈɑb ˈænd wˈiv/
idiom
move to avoid being hit
to move your head and body up, down, and side to side to avoid a hit, especially in boxing; also, to avoid problems by quickly changing your actions
Examples
- The boxer bobbed and weaved to avoid the punches.
- In politics you often have to bob and weave to survive criticism.
get a weave
1/ɡˈɛt ə wˈiv/
fixed phrase
informal
have hair extensions put in
to go to a salon and have extra hair added to your own hair as a hairstyle
Examples
- She plans to get a weave before her birthday party.
- I’m thinking of getting a weave for the summer.
wear a weave
1/wˈɛɹ ə wˈiv/
fixed phrase
regularly have a weave hairstyle
to have a hairstyle with extra hair attached, usually for some time
Examples
- She usually wears a weave in the winter.
- Many celebrities wear weaves on the red carpet.
weave a story
1/wˈiv ə stˈɔɹi/
fixed phrase
create a rich, detailed story
to make an interesting story by putting many details and ideas together in a careful way
Examples
- The director weaves a powerful story about family and forgiveness.
- He loves to weave stories from his childhood into his speeches.
weave in and out
1/wˈiv ˈɪn ˈænd ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
repeatedly move in and out
to move forward while going in and out between people, cars, or things again and again
Examples
- Cars were weaving in and out of the lanes.
- The child weaved in and out between the tables.
weave into
1/wˈiv ˈɪntu/
phrasal verb
include something as part of another
to put an idea, story, or detail inside something else so it becomes a natural part of it
Examples
- The lecturer weaved humor into a serious talk.
- They weave local traditions into their modern music.
weave one's way
1/wˈiv wˈʌnz wˈeɪ/
idiom
move carefully through obstacles
to move slowly and carefully through a crowd or many objects, changing direction often
Examples
- She slowly wove her way through the busy market.
- We had to weave our way between parked cars to reach the house.
weave through
1/wˈiv θɹˈu/
phrasal verb
move in and out between obstacles
to move forward by going in and out between people, cars, or other things
Examples
- The motorbikes weave through the traffic during rush hour.
- She had to weave through the crowd to reach the exit.
weave together
1/wˈiv təɡˈɛðɚ/
phrasal verb
combine parts into a whole
to join many ideas, stories, or pieces so they form one connected thing
Examples
- The film weaves together three different timelines.
- She weaves together personal memories and research in her essay.