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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

clothe en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈkləʊð/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈkloːð/ (Wales) without the toe–tow merger
  • /ˈkloʊð/ (General-American)
  • /ˈkloð/ (Scotland)

Etymology

From Middle English clothen, from Old English *clāþian (“to clothe”), from Proto-Germanic *klaiþōną (“to clothe”), from Proto-Indo-European *gley- (“to adhere to, stick”). Cognate with Dutch kleden, German kleiden, Swedish kläda, after apocope klä. See also cloth, clad.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To adorn or cover with clothing; to dress; to supply clothes or clothing.
    • to feed and clothe a family; to clothe oneself extravagantly
    • For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 23:21:
    • Go with me to clothe you as becomes you. c. 1590-92, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, act IV, scene ii:
    • The naked every day he clad, / When he put on his clothes. 1766, [Oliver Goldsmith], The Vicar of Wakefield: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Salisbury, Wiltshire: […] B. Collins, for F[rancis] Newbery, […], →OCLC:
  2. (figuratively) To cover or invest, as if with a garment.
    • His sides are clothed with waving wood. 1726, John Dyer, Grongar Hill:
    • language in which they can clothe their thoughts 1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLC:
    • words clothed in reason's garb 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
    • to clothe somebody with authority or power

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
cloathe alternative, obsolete lexicographic
clothed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
clothed Tense=Past lexicographic
clad Tense=Past archaic lexicographic
clad Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part archaic lexicographic
clothes Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
clothing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Antonyms

undress

Deriveds

unclothe · enclothe · underclothe · beclothe · reclothe · overclothe

Hypernyms

decorate · join · cover

Hyponyms

deck · overdress · shirt · harness · caparison · dress down · underclothe · underdress · behat · kit out · overclothe · rig · dress up

Relateds

get dressed · wear · clothed

Synonyms

garment · enrobe · vest · accouter · attire · put on · invest · slip on · don · dight (to adorn or cover with clothing) · beclothe · equip · address · clothe · robe · array · dress · apparel

Translations (67)

hu öltöztet (to adorn with clothing) · de bekleiden (to adorn with clothing) · pam piblasan (to adorn with clothing) · be апрана́ць (to adorn with clothing) · fur vistî (to adorn with clothing) · ru одева́ть (to adorn with clothing) · fr habiller (to adorn with clothing) · yi אָנטאָן (to adorn with clothing) · tl bihisan (to adorn with clothing) · pt trazer (to adorn with clothing) · fi vaatettaa (to adorn with clothing) · ro îmbrăca (to adorn with clothing) · uk одягти́ pf or одягну́ти (to adorn with clothing) · fi pukea ylleen (to adorn with clothing) · izh vaatoittaa (to adorn with clothing) · pt carregar (to adorn with clothing) · uk вдяга́ти (to adorn with clothing) · de anziehen (to adorn with clothing) · grc ἱματίζω (to adorn with clothing) · hu felöltöztet (to adorn with clothing) · eo vesti (to adorn with clothing) · be апрану́ць (to adorn with clothing) · uk одяга́ти (to adorn with clothing) · syc ܥܛܦ (to adorn with clothing) · cs ošatit (to adorn with clothing) · pt vestir (to adorn with clothing) · tl damitan (to adorn with clothing) · mi tāwharu (to adorn with clothing) · hu felruház (to adorn with clothing) · io vestizar (to adorn with clothing) · fr vêtir (to adorn with clothing) · kix thòu (to adorn with clothing) · fa لباس پوشاندن (to adorn with clothing) · hy հագցնել (to adorn with clothing) · hu borít (to adorn with clothing) · ru облачи́ть (to adorn with clothing) · gd sgeadaich (to adorn with clothing) · egy H-b-s-S28 (to adorn with clothing) · hu ruház (to adorn with clothing) · it vestire (to adorn with clothing) · quc atz'yaqixik (to adorn with clothing) · la vestiō (to adorn with clothing) · ru облача́ть (to adorn with clothing) · hu ruhával ellát (to adorn with clothing) · nl kleden (to adorn with clothing) · mi whakapūngenengene (to adorn with clothing) · is klæða (to adorn with clothing) · es vestir (to adorn with clothing) · ru оде́ть (to adorn with clothing) · rup nvescu (to adorn with clothing) · mi whakakākahu (to adorn with clothing) · hu fed (to adorn with clothing) · cs šatit (to adorn with clothing) · es arropar (to adorn with clothing) · got 𐍅𐌰𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to adorn with clothing) · bg обличам (to adorn with clothing) · sv klä (to adorn with clothing) · uk вдягти́ pf or вдягну́ти (to adorn with clothing) · hu burkol (to adorn with clothing) · hu takar (to adorn with clothing) · hu ráruház (to cover or invest, as if with a garment) · hu felruház (to cover or invest, as if with a garment) · fi pukeutua (to adorn with clothing) · io metar (to adorn with clothing) · cs oblékat (to adorn with clothing) · quc kojik (to adorn with clothing) · cs obléci (to adorn with clothing)