clad

1 of 5

past tense and past participle of clothe

clad

2 of 5

adjective

1
: being covered or clothed
ivy-clad buildings
clad in red silk pajamas
2
of a coin : consisting of outer layers of one metal bonded to a core of a different metal
half-dollar clad coins

clad

3 of 5

verb

clad or cladded; cladding

transitive verb

: sheathe, face
specifically : to cover (a metal) with another metal by bonding
stainless steel plates were clad with copper

clad

4 of 5

noun

1
a
: a composite material formed by cladding
b
: a clad coin
2
: cladding
specifically : the outer layer of a clad coin

clad-

5 of 5

combining form

variants or clado-
: slip : sprout
cladophyll

Examples of clad in a Sentence

Verb if the vehicles are not clad in armor, they will remain vulnerable to roadside bombs
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
One pro-Trump, Elon-Musk-fanboy account recently shared a suggestive image depicting a scantily clad Harris surrounded by multiple clones of Donald Trump; it’s been viewed 1.6 million times. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2024 Watch on Deadline Bridges, who is the hacker and original video game character Kevin Flynn, appears as something of an apparition at the end in white clad robes. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2024
Verb
The retro trend of cladding your rooms with wallpaper actually harkens further back to centuries past, when fine homes were showcases for pastoral murals in elegant gathering rooms. Jamie Gold, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024 The inquiry said architect Studio E, principal contractor Rydon, and cladding sub-contractor Harley all bore considerable responsibility for disaster. Reuters, NBC News, 4 Sep. 2024
Noun
Chunky black hexagons spill out of the center of its grille, and matte plastic clads all the sharp body lines on the tiny SUV. Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 13 Mar. 2023 As a result, Efergan, an easygoing 48-year-old clad in a V-neck undershirt, jeans and sneakers, is toiling full days and often manning the register. Paul Davidson, USA Today, 23 June 2021 See all Example Sentences for clad 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, past participle of clothen "to clothe"

Verb

probably from clad entry 2, taken as an uninflected verb rather than an inflected form of clothe

Noun

derivative of clad entry 3

Combining form

combining form from Greek kládos "branch, sprig, frond," perhaps going back to Indo-European *kl̥dos "piece of wood" — more at holt

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1939, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of clad was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near clad

Cite this Entry

“Clad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clad. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

clad

1 of 2

past and past participle of clothe

clad

2 of 2 adjective
: being covered : wearing clothes

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