cloth

[klawth, kloth]

noun

plural

cloths 

1. a fabric formed by weaving, felting, etc., from wool, hair, silk, flax, cotton, or other fiber, used for garments, upholstery, and many other items.

2. a piece of such a fabric for a particular purpose.

   an altar cloth.

3. the particular attire of any profession, especially that of the clergy.

4. the cloth, the clergy.

   men of the cloth.

5. Nautical.

   1. one of the lengths of canvas or duck of standard width sewn side by side to form a sail, awning, or tarpaulin.

   2. any of various pieces of canvas or duck for reinforcing certain areas of a sail.

   3. a number of sails taken as a whole.

6. Obsolete.,  a garment; clothing.

adjective

1. of or made of cloth.

   She wore a cloth coat trimmed with fur.

2. clothbound.

cloth

/ klɒθ /

noun

1. 1. a fabric formed by weaving, felting or knitting wool, cotton, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cloth bag

2. a piece of such fabric used for a particular purpose, as for a dishcloth

3. 1. the clothes worn by a clergyman

   2. the clergy

4. obsolete,  clothing

5. nautical any of the panels of a sail

6. a piece of coloured fabric, used on the stage as scenery

7. a garment in a traditional non-European style

Other Word Forms

• clothlike adjective
• undercloth noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cloth¹

before 900; Middle English cloth, clath cloth, garment, Old English clāth; cognate with Dutch kleed, German Kleid

Word History and Origins

Origin of cloth¹

Old English clāth; related to Old Frisian klēth, Middle High German kleit cloth, clothing

Idioms and Phrases

see out of whole cloth; sackcloth and ashes.

Example Sentences

He became an expert in how the cloth was constructed, and used his knowledge to perfect the tailoring.

From BBC

"As soon as we got to the bus, they bound our hands with some plastic material and covered our face with a black muslin cloth," he said.

From BBC

Several times, he worked a Walmart iron over a wet cloth, then peeled the fabric back to inspect the surface underneath.

From Los Angeles Times

“They were rolled up in cloths, which had gone black from wet and rot in a damp place.”

From BBC

That's when she saw "little bundles", wrapped in cloths that had gone black from rot and damp, and were "packed one after the other, in rows up to the ceiling".

From BBC

Related Words

• cotton 
• goods 
• material 
• stuff