cloth

American  

[klawth, kloth] / klɔθ, klɒθ /

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.

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adjective

1. of or made of cloth.

   She wore a cloth coat trimmed with fur.

2. clothbound.

cloth British  

/ 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

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cloth Idioms  

1. see out of whole cloth; sackcloth and ashes.

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Other Word Forms

• clothlike adjective
• undercloth noun

Etymology

Origin of cloth

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

Example Sentences

Sat behind a fringing machine at the mill, Hyslop, 28, deftly ran a dark cashmere fabric destined for a Spanish luxury brand through its frame, twisting the ends of the cloth into fringes.

From Barron's

Dana raises a large piece of cloth to give Ilana privacy as she completes the process.

From Los Angeles Times

Only the supply ship—which came once a year to bring them books and paper, flour and yeast, nails and cloth, and the other things they couldn’t make themselves—knew where they lived.

From Literature

"When leaders wear it, it reminds people this cloth is ours," Agboli said.

From Barron's

I borrow the red heart-shaped sunglasses Camille left on the counter and tie a few cloth napkins together to form a scarf.

From Literature

Related Words

• cotton
• goods
• material
• stuff