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hammercloth

[ham-er-klawth, -kloth]
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noun, plural ham·mer·cloths [ham-er-klawth z, -kloth z, -klawths, -kloths] /ˈhæm ərˌklɔðz, -ˌklɒðz, -ˌklɔθs, -ˌklɒθs/.
  1. a cloth covering for the driver's seat on a horse-drawn carriage.
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Origin of hammercloth

1425–75; late Middle English hamerclothe, dissimilated variant of *hamelcloth home-woven cloth, equivalent to hamel domestic (akin to Old Norse heimili homestead) + cloth(e) cloth
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for hammercloth

Historical Examples

  • The etymology of this hammercloth, which was simply a covering over the coach-box, seems to have puzzled people considerably.

    Carriages & Coaches

    Ralph Straus

  • There is no footboard, whilst a hammercloth for the footman is raised upon scroll ironwork, very well made.

  • The masses of gold lace by which the hammercloth and the attendants' liveries were ornamented had an extremely rich effect.

  • Then, from a lateral path, a closed carriage and pair drove rapidly up to the Hall, and a footman bounced off the hammercloth.

  • Hammercloth, ham′ėr-kloth, n. the cloth which covers a coach-box.