I. ˈklȯth also -läth noun
( plural cloths -thz, -ths)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English clāth; akin to Old Frisian klāth, Middle Dutch cleet, Middle High German kleit, Old English clīthan to adhere to, Lithuanian glitùs slippery — more at clay
1.
a. : something made by weaving, felting, knitting, knotting, bonding, or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers and filaments and used in variations of texture, finish, weight, width for clothing, upholstery, rugs, and industrial purposes or treated so that it will serve a special purpose (as made semirigid for bookbinding)
b. : a similar material (as of plastic, wire, or glass)
2.
a. : a piece of cloth of varying length especially as taken from a loom, as measured in a bolt, or as required for a garment
b. : a particular kind of cloth
velvet is a cloth with a pile face
cotton is the commonest woven cloth
c. : a piece of cloth adapted by size, texture, or finish for a particular purpose — often used in combination
dust cloth
face cloth
d. : tablecloth
e. obsolete : a piece of fabric of a standard quantity or length
f.
(1) : canvas made into a sail
(2) : one of the breadths of canvas sewed together to make a sail
g. archaic : canvas for a painting
h. theater : a painted cloth drop
3.
a. obsolete : wearing apparel : clothing
b. archaic : livery
c. : a piece of cloth worn as a garment
4.
a. : distinctive dress especially of any profession or calling
how any naval officer who respected his cloth could go fishing on equal terms with enlisted men — Fletcher Pratt
b. : the dress of the clergy or the clerical profession ; also : clergy
II. transitive verb
obsolete : to make into cloth