cleat en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /kliːt/
- (Southern-England) audio
- klēt
Etymology
From Middle English clete, from Old English *clēat (“block, wedge”), from Proto-West Germanic *klaut, from Proto-Germanic *klautaz (“firm lump”), from Proto-Indo-European *gelewd-, from *gley- (“to glue, stick together, form into a ball”). Cognate with Dutch kloot (“ball; testicle”) and German Kloß (“clump”). See also clay and clout.
Meanings
-
A strip of wood or iron fastened on transversely to something in order to give strength, prevent warping, hold position, etc.
I had learned that cattle willingly walk down a ramp that has cleats to provide secure, nonslip footing.
1995, Temple Grandin, Thinking in Pictures, page 6:[...] the people of that island erected lofty spars along the seacoast, to which the look-outs ascended by means of nailed cleats, something as fowls go upstairs in a hen-house.
1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 35”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
- A continuous metal strip, or angled piece, used to secure metal components.
- A device to quickly affix a line or rope, and from which it is also easy to release.
-
A protrusion on the bottom of a shoe or wheel meant for better traction.
Near-synonym: calk
-
An athletic shoe equipped with cleats.
Italy, which lifted the trophy for the fourth time in Berlin two decades ago, has been spiraling downward ever since. The Azzurri didn’t survive their group in 2010 and 2014 and haven’t qualified since. This time the Norwegians, known more for their skill on skis than in cleats, beat them twice in group play by a combined 7-1. Then the Italians lost the playoff to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalty kicks. Even with a swollen field, just getting here is an accomplishment.
2026 June 21, John Powers, “The World Cup group stage was supposed to be a feeding frenzy. So far, not so much.”, in The Boston Globe, retrieved 21 Jun 2026:He needs to put on five pieces of gear: his helmet, left glove, right glove, left cleat, and right cleat.
2020, Allyssa Loya, Sporty Bugs and Errors, page 26:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| cleats | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
French cleat · expansion cleat
Hyponyms
Synonyms
Translations (50)
uk кнага (device to secure a rope) · cs kolík (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · sv knap (device to secure a rope) · pt malagueta (device to secure a rope) · fr crampon (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · cs vazák (device to secure a rope) · fr taquet (device to secure a rope) · it galloccia (device to secure a rope) · pl korek (athletic shoe equipped with cleats) · it tacchetto (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · sv dobb (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · es toperol (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · bg кнехт (device to secure a rope) · nl nop (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · ro crampon (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · pl korek (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · ru шип (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · es cornamusa (device to secure a rope) · es cala (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · es tapón (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · mk крампон (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · bg кабър (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · pt chuteira (athletic shoe equipped with cleats) · mk копачка (athletic shoe equipped with cleats) · fi knaapi (device to secure a rope) · fi nappula (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · no kryssholt (device to secure a rope) · ru крепи́тельная у́тка (device to secure a rope) · es suela (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · pt grampo (device to secure a rope) · pt trava (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · es taco (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · is klampi (device to secure a rope) · ota ماندال (device to secure a rope) · nl klamp (device to secure a rope) · sv dubb (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · de Klampe (device to secure a rope) · sh би̏тва (device to secure a rope) · nrf tatchet (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · nl kikker (device to secure a rope) · es chimpún (athletic shoe equipped with cleats) · de Stollen (protrusion on the bottom of a shoe) · pl knaga (device to secure a rope) · ru у́тка (device to secure a rope) · fi köysipidin (device to secure a rope) · fi knaappi (device to secure a rope) · is krussholt (device to secure a rope) · cs rohatinka (device to secure a rope) · sh bȉtva (device to secure a rope) · fi nappulakenkä (athletic shoe equipped with cleats)