garment
n. · v.-
1 item of clothing (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Formala single piece of clothing.
an individual item of apparel or clothing. Often used in technical contexts like manufacturing or formal descriptions.
ExampleThe shop sells high-quality silk garments at a very high price.
ExampleThe factory produces thousands of finished garments every day, which are then shipped to retailers across the continent.
UsageUsually a countable noun; you can talk about 'a garment' or 'many garments'.
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2 an outer covering (n.) C2 Proficiency Literarythe outside layer of something that covers it like clothes.
the visible exterior or covering in which an abstract idea or object is invested or embodied.
ExampleThe hills were covered in a green garment of fresh grass.
ExampleThe poet described the city as being wrapped in a garment of mist, hiding the harsh reality of the industrial streets.
Teacher's tipThis is a highly metaphorical use found mostly in poetry and older literature.
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3 to clothe (v.) C2 Proficiency Literary Archaicto dress someone in a particular way.
to clothe or invest someone in a specific garment or style of dress. Transitive — requires a direct object.
ExampleThe king was garmented in the finest purple robes for his crowning.
ExampleThe statues were garmented in heavy velvet for the winter festival, creating a strange and solemn atmosphere in the square.
From Middle English garment, garement, garnement, from Old French garnement, guarnement, from Old French garnir, guarnir (“to protect, fortify, clothe, garnish, adorn”), from Frankish *warnijan (“to ward off, refuse, deny”). More at English garnish.