cloth
a fabric formed by weaving, felting, etc., from wool, hair, silk, flax, cotton, or other fiber, used for garments, upholstery, and many other items.
a piece of such a fabric for a particular purpose: an altar cloth.
the particular attire of any profession, especially that of the clergy.: Compare man of the cloth.
the cloth, the clergy: men of the cloth.
Nautical.
one of the lengths of canvas or duck of standard width sewn side by side to form a sail, awning, or tarpaulin.
any of various pieces of canvas or duck for reinforcing certain areas of a sail.
a number of sails taken as a whole.
Obsolete. a garment; clothing.
of or made of cloth: She wore a cloth coat trimmed with fur.
Origin of cloth
1Other words from cloth
- clothlike, adjective
- un·der·cloth, noun
Words that may be confused with cloth
Words Nearby cloth
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cloth in a sentence
When you wear a mask – even a cloth mask – you typically are exposed to a lower dose of the coronavirus than if you didn’t.
Cloth Masks Do Protect The Wearer – Breathing In Less Coronavirus Means You Get Less Sick | LGBTQ-Editor | August 20, 2020 | No Straight NewsSurgical masks are not as protective as N95s, but they do shield the wearer from droplets and fluids better than the now ubiquitous cloth masks—3% to 25% better, depending on the study.
Although all trainees and staff were required to wear cloth masks, campers were not.
Coronavirus outbreak at camp infected more than 200 kids and staff | Erin Garcia de Jesus | August 4, 2020 | Science News For StudentsMany cloth masks you can buy today are made of simple cotton, but the World Health Organization recommends that non-medical fabric masks have three layers of fabric, each made of a different material to serve a different protective role.
The WHO’s guide to making more effective reusable masks | Katherine Ellen Foley | July 18, 2020 | QuartzIn addition to paper, kirigami can reshape sheets of wood, cloth or metal.
Shape-shifting cuts give shoes a better grip | Carolyn Wilke | July 14, 2020 | Science News For Students
Paper and cloth are cheap, what people are paying for is the story.
Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really. | Ana Marie Cox | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe figure enters the elevator and is then seen quickly leaving the mall, black cloth flapping behind it.
Middle East Murder Mystery: Who Killed an American Teacher in Abu Dhabi? | Chris Allbritton | December 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWaving a silk cloth, he declared, “Gentlemen, I will have this land just as surely as I now have this handkerchief.”
No piece of cloth throughout history has sparked more controversy as the veil.
Saudi Activist Manal Al-Sharif on Why She Removed the Veil | Manal Al Sharif, Advancing Human Rights | October 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNovelty aside, the real question is whether these avowedly chaste men of the cloth are listening.
The Vatican's Same-Sex Synod: The Bishops Hear About Reality. Do They Listen? | Barbie Latza Nadeau | October 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe thrust the Cardinal's mantle into it, and stood over the smouldering cloth, till the whole was consumed to ashes.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterHer eyes were not nearly as soft as they had been, while she picked up the hanging folds of pink cloth, and went on.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. WilliamsonGreat had been her indignation at the want of respect shown to the Reverend John Dodd's cloth.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsRamona had covered the box with white cloth, and the lace altar-cloth thrown over it fell in folds to the floor.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonInstead of a cloth, on each table was a sheet of fine glazed paper which had the appearance of oiled silk.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
British Dictionary definitions for cloth
/ (klɒθ) /
a fabric formed by weaving, felting or knitting wool, cotton, etc
(as modifier): a cloth bag
a piece of such fabric used for a particular purpose, as for a dishcloth
the cloth
the clothes worn by a clergyman
the clergy
obsolete clothing
nautical any of the panels of a sail
mainly British a piece of coloured fabric, used on the stage as scenery
Western African a garment in a traditional non-European style
Origin of cloth
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with cloth
see out of whole cloth; sackcloth and ashes.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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