Cloth

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

Cloth, n. [OE. clath cloth, AS. clāþ cloth, garment; akin to D. kleed, Icel. klæ&edh;i, Dan. klæde, cloth, Sw. kläde, G. kleid garment, dress.].

•  A fabric made of fibrous material (or sometimes of wire, as in wire cloth); commonly, a woven fabric of cotton, woolen, or linen, adapted to be made into garments; specifically, woolen fabrics, as distinguished from all others.  [1913 Webster]
•  The dress; raiment. [Obs.] See Clothes.  [1913 Webster]

  "I'll ne'er distust my God for cloth and bread."  [1913 Webster]
•  The distinctive dress of any profession, especially of the clergy; hence, the clerical profession.  [1913 Webster]

  "Appeals were made to the priesthood. Would they tamely permit so gross an insult to be offered to their cloth?"  [1913 Webster]

  "The cloth, the clergy, are constituted for administering and for giving the best possible effect to . . . every axiom."  [1913 Webster]

Body cloth. See under Body. -- Cloth of gold, a fabric woven wholly or partially of threads of gold. -- Cloth measure, the measure of length and surface by which cloth is measured and sold. For this object the standard yard is usually divided into quarters and nails. -- Cloth paper, a coarse kind of paper used in pressing and finishing woolen cloth. -- Cloth shearer, one who shears cloth and frees it from superfluous nap.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Cloth, n. (pl. cloths)
1 woven or felted material.
2 a piece of this.
3 a piece of cloth for a particular purpose; a tablecloth, dishcloth, etc.
4 woollen woven fabric as used for clothes.
5 a profession or status, esp. of the clergy, as shown by clothes (respect due to his cloth). b (prec. by the) the clergy.

Idiom

cloth-cap relating to or associated with the working class. cloth-eared colloq. somewhat deaf. cloth of gold (or silver) tissue of gold (or silver) threads interwoven with silk or wool.

Etymology

OE clath, of unkn. orig.

THESAURUS

Cloth

act drop, asbestos, asbestos board, backdrop, batten, boltrope, border, canonicals, canvas, ceremonial attire, clericals, clew, coulisse, counterweight, cringle, crowd of sail, curtain, curtain board, cyclorama, decor, drapery, drop, drop curtain, earing, episcopal vestments, etoffe, fabric, felt, fire curtain, flat, flipper, foot, fore-and-aft sail, goods, hanging, head, lace, leech, liturgical garments, luff, material, muslin, napery, plain sail, pontificalia, pontificals, press of sail, rag, reduced sail, reef point, reefed sail, robes, sail, scene, scenery, screen, side scene, silk, square sail, stage screw, stuff, tab, tableau, teaser, textile, textile fabric, texture, the cloth, tissu, tissue, tormentor, transformation, transformation scene, vestments, vesture, weave, web, weft, wing, wingcut, woodcut, woof, wool

ROGET THESAURUS

Cloth

Business

N business, occupation, employment, pursuit, what one is doing, what one is about, affair, concern, matter, case, matter in hand, irons in the fire, thing to do, agendum, task, work, job, chore, errand, commission, mission, charge, care, duty, part, role, cue, province, function, lookout, department, capacity, sphere, orb, field, line, walk, walk of life, beat, round, routine, race, career, office, place, post, chargeship, incumbency, living, situation, berth, employ, service, engagement, undertaking, vocation, calling, profession, cloth, faculty, industry, art, industrial arts, craft, mystery, handicraft, trade, exercise, work, avocation, press of business, businesslike, workaday, professional, official, functional, busy, on hand, in hand, in one's hands, afoot, on foot, on the anvil, going on, acting, in the course of business, all in one's day's work, professionally Adj, a business with an income at its heels, amoto quaeramus seria ludo, par negotiis neque supra.

Cleanness

N cleanness, cleanliness, purity, cleaning, purification, defecation, purgation, lustration, detersion, abstersion, epuration, mundation, ablution, lavation, colature, disinfection, drainage, sewerage, lavatory, laundry, washhouse, washerwoman, laundress, dhobi, laundryman, washerman, scavenger, dustman, sweep, white wings brush, broom, besom, mop, rake, shovel, sieve, riddle, screen, filter, blotter, napkin, cloth, maukin, malkin, handkerchief, towel, sudary, doyley, doily, duster, sponge, mop, swab, cover, drugget, wash, lotion, detergent, cathartic, purgative, purifier, disinfectant, aperient, benzene, benzine benzol, benolin, bleaching powder, chloride of lime, dentifrice, deobstruent, laxative, clean, cleanly, pure, immaculate, spotless, stainless, taintless, trig, without a stain, unstained, unspotted, unsoiled, unsullied, untainted, uninfected, sweet, sweet as a nut, neat, spruce, tidy, trim, gimp, clean as a new penny, like a cat in pattens, cleaned, kempt, abstergent, cathartic, cleansing, purifying, neatly, clean as a whistle.

Crossing

N crossing, intersection, interdigitation, decussation, transversion, convolution, level crossing, reticulation, network, inosculation, anastomosis, intertexture, mortise, net, plexus, web, mesh, twill, skein, sleeve, felt, lace, wicker, mat, matting, plait, trellis, wattle, lattice, grating, grille, gridiron, tracery, fretwork, filigree, reticle, tissue, netting, mokes, rivulation, cross, chain, wreath, braid, cat's cradle, knot, entangle, cloth, linen, muslin, cambric, crossing, crossed, matted, v, transverse, cross, cruciform, crucial, retiform, reticular, reticulated, areolar, cancellated, grated, barred, streaked, textile, crossbarred, cruciate, palmiped, secant, web-footed, cross, thwart, athwart, transversely, at grade, crosswise.