cloth
n. C / Un. a material made by weaving or knitting fibers like cotton, wool, or silk. You use it to make things like clothes, curtains, or towels.
n. a fabric formed by weaving, felting, or knitting natural or synthetic fibers. Uncountable when referring to the material in general; countable when referring to a specific piece used for a purpose like cleaning.
She used a soft cloth to clean the table.
The tailor selected a heavy wool cloth to ensure the winter coat would be warm enough for the local climate.
Archaeologists discovered fragments of dyed cloth preserved in the dry cave, suggesting that the ancient civilization possessed sophisticated weaving techniques and a preference for vibrant colors.
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”).
Uncountable for the material; countable for a specific rag or piece of fabric used for a task.
He wears expensive cloths.He wears expensive clothes.Learners often confuse 'cloth' (the material) or its plural 'cloths' (cleaning rags) with 'clothes' (garments you wear).