cloth
cloath (obsolete)
clath, clathe, claith (Scotland)
From Middle English cloth, clath, from Old English clāþ (“cloth, clothes, covering, sail”), from Proto-Germanic *klaiþą (“garment”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *gleyt- (“to cling to, cleave, stick”) (compare Albanian ngjit (“to stick, attach, glue”)), a form of *gleh₁y- (“to smear; to stick”). Cognate with Scots clath (“cloth”), North Frisian klaid (“dress, garment”), Saterland Frisian Klood (“dress, apparel”), West Frisian kleed (“cloth, article of clothing”), Dutch kleed (“robe, dress”), Low German kleed (“dress, garment”), German Kleid (“gown, dress”), Danish klæde (“cloth, dress”), Norwegian klede, Swedish kläde (“cloth”), Icelandic klæði (“cloth, dressing”), Old English clīþan (“to adhere, stick”).
(Received Pronunciation) enPR: klŏth, IPA(key): /klɒθ/, (archaic) /klɔːθ/
(General American, General Australian) enPR: klôth, IPA(key): /klɔθ/
(cot–caught merger) enPR: klŏth, IPA(key): /klɑθ/
(obsolete) enPR: klōth, IPA(key): /kloʊθ/
Rhymes: -ɒθ
cloth (countable and uncountable, plural cloths or (obsolete) clothes)
(countable, uncountable) A fabric, usually made of woven, knitted, or felted fibres or filaments, such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use.
Specifically, a tablecloth, especially as spread before a meal or removed afterwards.
(countable) A piece of cloth used for a particular purpose.
(figurative) Substance or essence; the whole of something complex.
(figurative) Appearance; seeming.
A form of attire that represents a particular profession or status.
(in idioms) Priesthood, clergy.
(woven fabric): material, stuff
See also Thesaurus:fabric
clothe, clothes, clothing
From Old Irish cloth, from Proto-Celtic *klutom (compare Welsh clod), nominalization of Proto-Indo-European *ḱlutós (“famous”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”). Cognate with Ancient Greek κλυτός (klutós, “famous”), Sanskrit श्रुत (śruta, “famous”), and English loud.
IPA(key): /klˠɔ(h)/
cloth m (genitive singular cloith, nominative plural cloith) (literary)
fame, honor
reputation
Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cloth”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927) “cloṫ”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society
clothe, clooth, clath, clathe, cloþ, cloþe, clooþ, claþ, claþe, cloð, clað, kloth, klathe, clotȝ, cloyth, kloyt
From Old English clāþ, from Proto-Germanic *klaiþą.
(Early Middle English, Northern) IPA(key): /klɑːθ/
IPA(key): /klɔːθ/
cloth (plural clothes or close)
Cloth; fabric or an individual piece of it, especially made by weaving:
Table linen; a decorative cloth for the table.
A blanket or sheet; bed linen.
An ornamental cloth or carpet with fine detailing.
A specific standard length or area of cloth.
A cloth used to filter or sieve unwanted materials (usually in the kitchen).
The cloth babies are wrapped in; babywear.
(often in the plural) An item of clothes; a garment; something to be worn.
Clothes, apparel; what is worn.
(Late Middle English) A bodily tissue or layer.
(Late Middle English, rare) An illness or medical condition evident from boils.
bordcloth
clothen
clother
clothing
clothles
English: cloth
Scots: clath, clathe, claith
“clōth, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-06-26.
From Proto-Celtic *klutom (compare Welsh clod), nominalization of Proto-Indo-European *ḱlutós (“famous”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlew- (“to hear”). Cognate with Ancient Greek κλυτός (klutós, “famous”), Sanskrit श्रुत (śruta, “famous”), and English loud.
IPA(key): /kloθ/
cloth n (genitive cluith, nominative plural clotha)
fame, honor
reputation
Irish: cloth
Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “cloth”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language