Word
clothing
Phoneticscloth·ing, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɫoʊðɪŋ/
UK/klˈəʊðɪŋ/
Definitions
01garments worn on the body
A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun
n. items like shirts, trousers, and dresses that you wear to cover your body.
n. garments collectively; articles of dress used to cover the human body for protection, modesty, or adornment.
日本語:服※
“You should pack warm clothing if you are going to the mountains.”
“The charity provides protective clothing and sturdy boots to workers in the most affected regions.”
Usage
Usually uncountable; it does not take a plural 's' in general usage.
Pitfall
I bought many clothings for my holiday.
I bought many clothes for my holiday.
Clothing is usually uncountable. Use 'clothes' or 'items of clothing' when you want to talk about individual pieces.
02industrial covering
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical
n. a layer of material used to cover a machine or boiler to keep heat inside.
n. a covering of non-conducting material applied to the exterior of a boiler or steam chamber to prevent heat loss.
“The engineer checked the clothing on the boiler to ensure it was still safe.”
“The thermal clothing surrounding the steam pipes had degraded over time, leading to a significant drop in energy efficiency.”
Usage
Used in engineering and thermodynamics contexts.
Synonyms
Confusables
Cloth is the raw fabric, clothes are the specific items you wear, and clothing is the general category or industry term.
RememberCloth is material; clothes are items; clothing is the category.
Etymology
From Middle English clothing, clathing; equivalent to clothe + -ing. Cognate with Scots cleeding, cleiding, cleading (“clothing”), Dutch kleding (“clothing”), German Kleidung (“clothing”), Danish klædning (“clothing, dress, attire”), Swedish klädning (“dress”). Doublet of the dialectal English term cleading, from Middle English clething; compare also cladding.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Related words
Idioms
- 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.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL 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: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/clothing
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0