cloth
- 01 B1 Intermediate
material made by weaving or knitting threads together, used to make clothes or other items.
a fabric formed by weaving, knitting, or felting fibers. Uncountable when referring to the general material.
Simple“The designer chose a heavy wool cloth for the winter coats.”
In context“The merchant specialized in high-quality silk cloth imported from regional weavers who used traditional hand-looming techniques.”
UsageUncountable in this sense.
PitfallI need to buy some new cloths for my summer wardrobe. I need to buy some new clothes for my summer wardrobe.Use 'cloth' for the material and 'clothes' (pronounced like 'close') for the things you wear.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
a small piece of fabric used for a specific job, like cleaning or dusting.
a specific piece of fabric used for a particular purpose, typically cleaning, wiping, or polishing.
Simple“Use a damp cloth to wipe the dust off the bookshelf.”
In context“The technician used a specialized microfiber cloth to remove fingerprints from the delicate camera lens without scratching the glass.”
UsageCountable in this sense.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a large piece of fabric used to cover a table, especially during a meal.
a tablecloth, particularly one spread for a formal meal.
Simple“She spread a white cloth over the table before the guests arrived.”
In context“The staff were instructed to lay the cloth with precision, ensuring the silver was perfectly aligned for the evening banquet.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'lay the cloth'.
Synonymstableclothlinen - 04 C2 Proficiency
a way to refer to priests or ministers as a group.
a collective term for the priesthood or clergy, derived from the distinctive professional attire they wear.
Simple“He felt a calling to the cloth from a very young age.”
In context“As a man of the cloth, he felt a profound responsibility to provide spiritual guidance to the community during times of crisis.”
UsageUsually used with the definite article: 'the cloth'.
Synonyms
cloth vs clothes vs clothing — Cloth is the raw fabric, clothes are the specific items you wear, and clothing is the general category or industry term.
From Middle English cloth, clath, from Old English clāþ (“cloth, clothes, covering, sail”), from Proto-Germanic klaiþą (“garment”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European gleyt- (“to cling to, cleave, stick”) (compare Albanian ngjit (“to stick, attach, glue”)), a form of *gleh₁y- (“to smear; to stick”). Cognate with Scots clath (“cloth”), North Frisian klaid (“dress, garment”), Saterland Frisian Klood (“dress, apparel”), West Frisian kleed (“cloth, article of clothing”), Dutch kleed (“robe, dress”), Low German kleed (“dress, garment”), German Kleid (“gown, dress”), Danish klæde (“cloth, dress”), Norwegian klede, Swedish kläde (“cloth”), Icelandic klæði (“cloth, dressing”), Old English clīþan (“to adhere, stick”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.