Word
clad
US/ˈkɫæd/
UK/klˈæd/
Definitions
01wearing clothes
C1 · Advanced Literary · Formal
adj. wearing a particular type of clothing.
adj. clothed or dressed in a specified manner; typically used with an adverb or as part of a compound.
“The hikers were clad in warm waterproof jackets to protect them from the rain.”
“The delegates arrived at the gala clad in traditional formal attire, creating a vibrant display of cultural heritage.”
Usage
Often follows an adverb like 'suitably' or 'scantily'.
02covered with a material
C1 · Advanced Technical · Formal
adj. covered or protected by a layer of something, like metal or stone.
adj. covered, enveloped, or protected by a specific outer layer or cladding.
“The modern office building was clad in glass and steel.”
“The ancient fortress walls were clad in moss and ivy, hiding the weathered stone from the casual observer.”
Usage
Frequently used in architectural and engineering contexts.
03to cover a surface
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical
v. to put a protective or decorative layer on the outside of a building or object.
v. to apply a layer of material to the exterior of a structure for insulation, protection, or aesthetic purposes.
“The workers began to clad the house with timber panels.”
“The design specifications required the contractor to clad the reactor core with a specialized lead alloy to ensure maximum radiation containment.”
Usage
Takes a direct object; often used in the passive voice.
Real-World Examples
“Dry-humoured Lauren (performed by playwright Éimi Quinn) is the play’s millennial, fourth-wall-breaking narrator, clad in fishnets and bunny ears for a hen-do.” “But we do hear how Hawking’s victory in a scientific bet was celebrated by making his opponents deliver lectures in T-shirts showing scantily clad women.” Etymology
From Middle English clad, cladde, cled(e), cledde, past tense and past participle forms of clethen (“(also figurative) to put clothing on, clothe, dress; to provide clothing to; to arm, equip; to cover, envelop; to conceal; to adorn”), from Old English clǣþan (past tense clǣþde, clædde), from Proto-West Germanic klaiþijan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gleh₁y-, gley- (“to adhere, cling, stick to”).
From Middle English clad(d), cladde, clade, past tense and past participle forms of clathen, clothen (“to put clothing on, clothe, dress”), from *clāþian (“to clothe”) (past participle ġeclāded, ġeclaþed, ġeclaþod), from clāþ, clǣþ (“cloth; (plural) clothes”); see further at etymology 1.
Apparently derived from clad (adjective); see etymology 2. Uses of clad as the simple past and past participle form of clad are indistinguishable from uses of the word as the simple past and past participle form of clothe.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/clad