clothe

verb \ ˈklōt͟h \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Examples: clothe in a Sentence

Definition of clothe

clothed or clad play \ˈklad\; clothing

transitive verb

1 a : to cover with or as if with cloth or clothing : dress

b : to provide with clothes

the cost of feeding and clothing a family

2 : to express or enhance by suitably significant language : couch

treaties clothed in stately phraseology

3 : to endow especially with power or a quality

the nobility in which religion and history can clothe humanity
—D. R. Wallace

See clothe defined for English-language learners

See clothe defined for kids

Examples of clothe in a Sentence

the cost of feeding and clothing your children
they liked to clothe the twins in identical outfits just to confuse people

Recent Examples of clothe from the Web

The Voice star, who was clad in a black, fringy dress, was also joined on stage by an ensemble of all-female choir singers.

— jessica leigh mattern, Country Living, "Kelly Clarkson Brought the House Down in Her First-Ever CMT Award Show Performance," 7 June 2018
Look for lots of dolphin tricks, including that underwater corkscrew maneuver, macaws in flight (there’s always one rogue one, right?) and Lycra-clad trainers doing that side-to-side and slide dance thing between instructions.

— dewayne bevil, OrlandoSentinel.com, "SeaWorld Orlando sails into summer with free beer, dolphin show, 'Ignite' fireworks, more," 5 June 2018
The two friends arrived at the Murfreesboro Pike location at around 3:20 a.m. At around 3:25 a.m., authorities say a gunman, clothed only in a green jacket, opened fire with an AR-15 rifle.

— breanna edwards, The Root, "29-Year-Old James Shaw Jr. Hailed as Hero for Stopping Tennessee Waffle House Shooting," 23 Apr. 2018
The girl’s been looked after and clothed and fed and sent to lovely schools.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Liam Gallagher Reunites with Estranged Daughter Molly Moorish, 21, For First Time in 19 Years," 24 May 2018
The portfolio of small batch wines clad in old-school tattoo labels is mostly Mediterranean-themed, with solid white and red Grenache wines and fragrant Viognier, a recurring phenomenon in this region, probably not a coincidence.

— tim teichgraeber, SFChronicle.com, "Five vineyards you must see in Oregon’s lesser-known Rogue Valley region," 23 May 2018
In Book Club, Diane Keaton plays a woman clad in immaculate suits who charms everyone with her warm, scattered demeanor.

— yohana desta, HWD, "Why Diane Keaton’s Book Club Role Is Even More Meta Than You Think," 17 May 2018
Egan didn't say whether the man was clothed or what led to the incident.

— janine puhak, Fox News, "Former senator speaks out on Alaska Airlines' naked, disruptive passenger," 16 May 2018
Just inside the main entrance to the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. one rainy Saturday evening in April, 2017, six earpiece-clad, dark-suited agents stood in a cluster, speaking in low tones.

— zach everson, Condé Nast Traveler, "Inside the World’s Most Controversial Hotel," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clothe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of clothe

Middle English, from Old English clāthian, from clāth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

clothe Synonyms

CLOTHE Defined for English Language Learners

clothe

verb

Definition of clothe for English Language Learners

: to provide (someone) with clothes
: to dress (someone) in a particular type of clothing

CLOTHE Defined for Kids

clothe

verb \ ˈklōt͟h \

Definition of clothe for Students

clothed or clad \ˈklad\; clothing

1 : to cover with or as if with clothing : dress

2 : to provide with clothes

Learn More about clothe

See words that rhyme with clothe Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for clothe Spanish Central: Translation of clothe Nglish: Translation of clothe for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of clothe for Arabic speakers

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clothe

Definition of clothe

Examples of clothe in a Sentence

Recent Examples of clothe from the Web

Origin and Etymology of clothe

clothe Synonyms

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CLOTHE Defined for English Language Learners

clothe

Definition of clothe for English Language Learners

CLOTHE Defined for Kids

clothe

Definition of clothe for Students

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