clothe

From Middle English clothen, from Old English clāþian (“to clothe”), from Proto-Germanic *klaiþōną (“to clothe”), from Proto-Indo-European *gley- (“to adhere to, stick”). Cognate with Dutch kleden, German kleiden, Swedish kläda, after apocope klä. See also cloth, clad.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkləʊð/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkloʊð/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -əʊð

clothe (third-person singular simple present clothes, present participle clothing, simple past and past participle clad or clothed)

1. (transitive) To adorn or cover with clothing; to dress; to supply clothes or clothing.

   to feed and clothe a family; to clothe oneself extravagantly

   • c. 1590-92, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, Act IV scene ii:

     Go with me to clothe you as becomes you.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Bible, Proverbs xxiii. 21

     Drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Goldsmith

     The naked every day he clad, / When he put on his clothes.

2. (figuratively) To cover or invest, as if with a garment.

   to clothe somebody with authority or power

   • (Can we date this quote?) Watts

     language in which they can clothe their thoughts

   • (Can we date this quote?) J. Dyer

     His sides are clothed with waving wood.

   • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton

     words clothed in reason's garb

• beclothe
• overclothe
• underclothe

From Old English clāþ.

clothe

1. Alternative form of cloth

From Old English clāþian.

clothe

1. Alternative form of clothen