clothe

verb

SayKLOHTH/ˈkloʊð/UK/ˈkləʊð/

Formsclothes, clothing, clothed

2 meanings of clothe

Practice

1
verbtransitive
To dress someone, or to supply a person with the clothes they need to wear.
Charities raced to clothe the refugees before winter set in.
The monastery clothed and fed every traveler who knocked at its gate.
Similardress, outfit, attire
Oppositeundress, strip
2
verbfigurativelytransitive
To cover or surround something completely, as though wrapping it in a garment.
Ivy and moss clothe the ruined abbey walls in green.
Mystery clothed the stranger's every word and gesture.
Similarcover, cloak, envelop, shroud, drape
Oppositebare, expose

Use it in a sentence

Write your own sentence with clothe, and AI will tell you whether it fits and which meaning you used.

Origin

From Middle English clothen, from Old English *clāþian ("to clothe"), going back through Proto-Germanic *klaiþōną to a Proto-Indo-European root *gley- ("to adhere to, stick"). It is related to Dutch kleden, German kleiden, and Swedish kläda, as well as to the words cloth and clad.