Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Clothe

Clothe

(klōth)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Clothed
(klōthd)
or
Clad
(klăd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Clothing
.]
[OE.
clathen
,
clothen
,
clethen
, AS.
clāðian
,
clǣðan
. See
Cloth
.]
1.
To put garments on; to cover with clothing; to dress.
Go with me, to
clothe
you as becomes you.
Shakespeare
2.
To provide with clothes;
as, to feed and
clothe
a family; to
clothe
one’s self extravagantly
.
Drowsiness shall
clothe
a man with rags.
Prov. xxiii. 21.
The naked every day he
clad
,
When he put on his clothes.
Goldsmith.
3.
Fig.: To cover or invest, as with a garment;
as, to
clothe
one with authority or power
.
Language in which they can
clothe
their thoughts.
Watts.
His sides are
clothed
with waving wood.
J. Dyer.
Thus Belial, with with words
clothed
in reason's garb.
Milton.

Clothe

,
Verb.
I.
To wear clothes.
[Poetic]
Care no more to
clothe
eat.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition


Clothe

CLOTHE

,
Verb.
T.
pret. and pp. clothed, or clad. [See Cloth.]
1.
To put on garments; to invest the body with raiment; to cover with dress, for concealing nakedness and defending the body from cold or injuries.
The Lord God made coats of skin and clothed them. Gen. 3.
2.
To cover with something ornamental.
Embroidered purple clothes the golden beds.
But clothe, without the aid of other words, seldom signifies to adorn. In this example from Pope, it signifies merely to cover.
3.
To furnish with raiment; to provide with clothes; as, a master is to feed and clothe his apprentice.d
4.
To put on; to invest; to cover, as with a garment; as, to clothe thoughts with words.
I will clothe her priests with salvation. Ps. 132.
Drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Prov. 23.
Let them be clothed with shame. Ps. 35.
5.
To invest; to surround; to encompass.
The Lord is clothed with majesty. Ps. 93.
Thou art clothed with honor and majesty. Ps 104.
6.
To invest; to give to by commission; as, to clothe with power or authority.
7.
To cover or spread over; as, the earth is clothed with verdure.

CLOTHE

,
Verb.
I.
To wear clothes.
Care no more to clothe and eat.

Definition 2024


clothe

clothe

English

Verb

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
    • Shakespeare
      Go with me, to clothe you as becomes you.
    • Bible, Proverbs xxiii. 21
      Drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
    • 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
    • Watts
      language in which they can clothe their thoughts
    • J. Dyer
      His sides are clothed with waving wood.
    • Milton
      words clothed in reason's garb

Translations