cleat

[ kleet ]

/ klit /

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noun

a wedge-shaped block fastened to a surface to serve as a check or support: He nailed cleats into the sides of the bookcase to keep the supports from slipping.

a strip of metal, wood, or the like, fastened across a surface, as a ramp or gangway, to provide sure footing or to maintain an object in place.

a strip of wood, metal, etc., fastened across a surface, as of a plank or series of adjacent planks, for strength or support.

a conical or rectangular projection, usually of hard rubber, or a metal strip with sharp projections, built into or attached to the sole of a shoe to provide greater traction.

a shoe fitted with such projections.

a metal plate fastened to the sole or heel of a shoe, to protect against wear.

Shipbuilding. a hook-shaped piece of metal supporting a small structural member.

Also called belaying cleat. Nautical. an object of wood or metal having one or two projecting horns to which ropes may be belayed, especially as fixed to the deck, bulkhead, or stanchion of a vessel.

the cleavage plane of coal as found in a mine.

verb (used with object)

to supply or strengthen with cleats; fasten to or with a cleat.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cleat

1350–1400; Middle English clete wedge, cognate with Old High German klōz lump, ball, Dutch kloot; akin to clot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cleat in a sentence

Philip Rivers announced he is hanging up his cleats after 17 seasons in the NFL.
Sorry, but Philip Rivers is not a Hall of Fame quarterback|Neil Greenberg|January 22, 2021|Washington Post
So, too, is tailback Alvin Kamara, who’s playing in eye-catching, bright Christmas cleats, one red and one green.
Alvin Kamara’s six-touchdown greatness gives the Saints another division crown|Mark Maske|December 26, 2020|Washington Post
Kamara, playing with resplendently festive cleats, one red and one green, amassed 96 rushing yards and had touchdown runs of 40, one and five yards.
Alvin Kamara’s six-touchdown greatness gives the Saints another division crown|Mark Maske|December 26, 2020|Washington Post
“I think Alvin Kamara should wear these cleats every day,” analyst Troy Aikman said during the Fox broadcast.
Alvin Kamara’s six-touchdown greatness gives the Saints another division crown|Mark Maske|December 26, 2020|Washington Post

Kamara, the spectacular tailback who was resplendent in a pair of Christmas cleats — one red and one green — ran for six touchdowns, matching the single-game NFL mark.
Alvin Kamara’s six-touchdown greatness gives the Saints another division crown|Mark Maske|December 26, 2020|Washington Post
Some were floating against the roof, and some were entangled in the cleated chairs.
A Crime of the Under-seas|Guy Boothby
He drew himself up, and this time his cleated foot cut through snow to stone, and slipped, but his hold was too good.
A Matter of Proportion|Anne Walker
These cables should be securely cleated to the wall about six inches below the outfit.
The Automobile Storage Battery|O. A. Witte
When the man had gone down the cleated runway and John was raising his line for another layer of bricks, Cavanaugh sighed deeply.
The Cottage of Delight|Will N. Harben
Down on Ralphs head came a bulky object as he started up the cleated side of the barn.
Ralph, the Train Dispatcher|Allen Chapman

British Dictionary definitions for cleat

cleat

/ (kliːt) /

noun

a wedge-shaped block, usually of wood, attached to a structure to act as a support

a device consisting of two hornlike prongs projecting horizontally in opposite directions from a central base, used for securing lines on vessels, wharves, etc

a short length of angle iron used as a bracket

a piece of metal, leather, etc, attached to the sole of a shoe to prevent wear or slipping

a small triangular-shaped nail used in glazing

any of the main cleavage planes in a coal seam

verb (tr)

to supply or support with a cleat or cleats

to secure (a line) on a cleat

Word Origin for cleat

C14: of Germanic origin, compare Old High German chlōz clod, lump, Dutch kloot ball

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cleat

Origin of cleat

Words related to cleat

How to use cleat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cleat

Word Origin for cleat