a fabric formed by weaving, felting, or knitting wool, cotton, etc (as modifier): a cloth bag a piece of such fabric used for a particular purpose, as for a dishcloth - the cloth ⇒
the clergy
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cloth /klɔθ, klɑθ/USA pronunciation
n., pl. cloths /klɔðz, klɑðz, klɔθs, klɑθs/USA pronunciation , adj.
n.
adj. [before a noun]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026n.
- Textiles[uncountable] fabric made by weaving or knitting from wool, silk, polyester, etc., used for clothing, upholstery, etc.
- [countable] a piece of such a fabric for a particular purpose: a cloth for dusting.
- Religion the cloth, [uncountable] the clergy:a man of the cloth.
adj. [before a noun]
- of or made of cloth:a cloth cap.
- clothbound:cloth-cover books.
cloth
(klôth, kloth),USA pronunciation n., pl. cloths (klôᵺz, kloᵺz, klôths, kloths),USA pronunciation
adj.
n.
adj.
cloth′like′, adj.
n.
- Textilesa fabric formed by weaving, felting, etc., from wool, hair, silk, flax, cotton, or other fiber, used for garments, upholstery, and many other items.
- a piece of such a fabric for a particular purpose:an altar cloth.
- the particular attire of any profession, esp. that of the clergy. Cf. man of the cloth.
- the cloth, the clergy:men of the cloth.
- [Naut.]
- one of the lengths of canvas or duck of standard width sewn side by side to form a sail, awning, or tarpaulin.
- any of various pieces of canvas or duck for reinforcing certain areas of a sail.
- a number of sails taken as a whole.
- Clothing[Obs.]a garment;
clothing.
adj.
- of or made of cloth:She wore a cloth coat trimmed with fur.
- clothbound.
- bef. 900; Middle English cloth, clath cloth, garment, Old English clāth; cognate with Dutch kleed, German Kleid
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