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

Explanation

Cloth is fabric, a woven material. When you sew your own clothes, you start with a piece of cloth. Cloth is made from some sort of fiber, often cotton or wool, or a synthetic like rayon or polyester. Your clothing is made from cloth, as are the curtains in your house, your favorite tote bag, and the table cloth in your kitchen. The Old English root is claþ, which means "cloth or sail," but also "woven material to wrap around oneself," or "garment."

Example Sentences

At campaign events, supporters have gifted Hilton with a Kézimunka, a traditional Hungarian embroidered cloth, which was stitched with a heart, as well as stars-and-stripes bathing trunks.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

She held a tiny controller with which she operated a synthesizer, worn around her neck and concealed by the ruffles of her Congolese Kuba cloth top, to manipulate the sound of her voice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

If something’s sticky or stubborn, let it sit with a damp cloth for a minute before wiping; it saves you from unnecessary scrubbing.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

"You can only pretty much cut your coat according to your cloth size and we don't have wrist spinners or mystery spinners," Conrad said.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Her grip was strong as she pulled my hand toward her and wrapped it with a cloth.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• cotton
• goods
• material
• stuff