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clothe
/kloʊð/
provide with clothing
She clothed her children in warm winter coats.
She dressed her children warmly for winter.
formal
to provide someone with clothes
The charity aims to clothe the homeless before winter.
The charity wants to dress the homeless warmly.
He clothed himself in a suit for the interview.
He put on a suit for the interview.
Often used in contexts of providing clothing to those in need or dressing oneself formally.
literary
to cover or envelop (something) as if with clothing
The mountain was clothed in mist.
The mountain was covered in mist.
Common in poetic or descriptive language.
Collocations
clothe oneself into dress oneself in a particular way or styleclothe the nakedto provide clothing to those without
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'clothes'
'Clothe' is a verb meaning to provide clothing, while 'clothes' is a noun referring to garments. For example, 'She clothes her children' vs. 'She wears clothes'.
Gold Rule
Use 'clothe' for providing clothing
Use 'clothe' when the action involves giving or putting clothes on someone, especially in a formal or charitable context.
Word Origin
Old English 'clāþian', from 'clāþ' (cloth), related to Old Norse 'klæða' and German 'kleiden'.
Usage Notes
The verb 'clothe' is less common in everyday speech than 'dress' but is often used in formal or literary contexts. It can also imply providing clothing to those in need.
Word Breakdown
cloth
fabric used for making clothes
root-e
verb-forming suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary