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loincloth

American  
[loin-klawth, -kloth] / ˈlɔɪnˌklɔθ, -ˌklɒθ /

noun

  • loincloths
    plural
  1. a piece of cloth worn around the loins or hips, especially in tropical regions as the only item of clothing.


loincloth British  
/ ˈlɔɪnˌklɒθ /

noun

  1. Also called: breechcloth. a piece of cloth worn round the loins

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of loincloth

First recorded in 1855–60; loin + cloth

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

This isn’t only because, as Ms. Whitlum-Cooper and Ms. Tedbury write, Christ’s body is “vehemently real,” but also due to the verisimilitude of his loincloth and the “complex depths of its falls and folds.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

In Japan, the duo even tried their hand at sumo wrestling and Si remembers Dave had gone the extra mile to make sure he looked good in his loincloth.

From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2024

The earliest form of underwear was a loincloth.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 9, 2024

You’re looking at a guy who has been compared against an example of myself from 25 years ago in a loincloth.

From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2023

She looked down and realized that she, too, now had a lovely Neanderthal body - belly hair, loincloth, stubby legs and oversized feet.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Some of Saar’s leather necklaces are reminiscent of tribal loincloths, in a triangle shape that comes to a point, dyed and stitched in various colors.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026

King Tut was actually entombed with 145 schenti, a large collection of loincloths to take with him to the underworld.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 9, 2024

Uozumi then rose to his feet, dusted himself off and rejoined the surrounding group of wrestlers wearing loincloths.

From Reuters ● Jun. 14, 2023

Forty people took part in the event at Teppou-zu Inari Shrine on Sunday, where men and women donned loincloths and white gowns before plunging into water filled with ice blocks.

From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2023

The others wore loincloths and turbans and a few wore shirts, but as the day wore on they doffed their shirts, one by one, until all were as our men.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

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