clothing

SayKLOH-thing/ˈkloʊðɪŋ/UK/ˈkləʊðɪŋ/

5 meanings of clothing

1
noununcountable
Things people wear to cover their bodies, stay warm, or look nice.
Like fur on an animal: a covering that keeps the body warm and protected.
She packed warm clothing for the trip to the mountains.
The store sells clothing for babies and toddlers.
Similarclothes, garments, apparel, attire, garb
Note
2
verb
Present participle and gerund of clothe. Use this -ing form when the action of dressing someone is happening now.
The charity is clothing hundreds of refugees this winter.
He keeps clothing his kids in hand-me-downs from their cousins.
Note
3
noununcountable
The act of putting clothes on a person's body.
Like the few minutes of getting dressed before you leave the house.
The clothing of the baby took longer than her bath did.
Each morning started with the slow clothing of the injured man.
Similardressing, robing
Oppositeundressing
Note
4
noununcountable
A cover of material on the outside of a boiler that keeps heat from escaping.
Like a thick blanket wrapped around a hot water tank to keep it warm.
The old engine's boiler was wrapped in thick clothing to hold in the heat.
Without proper clothing, the steam chamber lost its heat very fast.
Similarlagging, insulation, cladding, jacket

Less common meaning

5
nounobsoleteuncountable
The craft of making cloth from wool or other fibers.
Note

clothing is a form of clothe

clothe, verb: To put clothes on someone, or to give them clothes to wear. Full entry

Forms: clotheclothes he/she/itclothing -ing formclothed past tense, past participle
Spelling: clothe → clothing: drop the e, add -ing

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English clothing, made from the verb clothe plus the ending -ing. It is related to German Kleidung and Dutch kleding.