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Cloth

/klɔθ/

nounA2

Definition

Cloth is a soft material made by joining many threads or yarns together. People use cloth to make clothes, towels, curtains, and other fabric items. It can be made from natural fibers like cotton or wool, or from synthetic (man-made) fibers like polyester.

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⚡ See It in Action

Material made by weaving threads

  • •She bought some cloth to sew a new dress.
  • •The table was covered with a white cloth.
  • •This cloth feels soft and warm.

A piece of cloth used for a special purpose

  • •He wiped the window with a cloth.
  • •The artist used a cloth to clean his brushes.

🧲 Make It Stick

  • ✓Think of "cloth" like "fabric" (a similar A2 word), but cloth is the actual material you touch before it becomes something like a shirt or a blanket.
  • ✓Picture a piece of soft, flat material—like a small towel or a handkerchief—that you can fold or cut.
  • ✓It's the feeling of holding a warm sweater or a clean tablecloth in your hands.
  • ✓Sounds like "cloth" → imagine soft cotton cloth rubbing gently on your skin, making you feel comfortable.
  • ✓Think of stories where people use cloth to cover things, like a table at a picnic or a flag waving in the wind.
  • ✓NOT like "paper" (thin and easy to tear), cloth is flexible and stronger.
  • ✓NOT like "leather" (made from animal skin), cloth is made from woven threads.
  • ✓NOT like "plastic" (hard or shiny), cloth feels soft and natural.

🔄 Try Other Words

  • •Fabric: material made by weaving or knitting threads (Use when talking about types or qualities of materials in general)
  • •Material: general word for what something is made of (Use in very general contexts, not only textiles)
  • •Textile: cloth made by weaving or knitting (Use in formal or industrial contexts about cloth production)
  • •Rag: old or worn piece of cloth (Use when cloth is old or used for cleaning)

🔍 Unboxing

  • •Word parts: cloth (single root word)
  • •Etymology: Old English "clāth," meaning a piece of woven or knitted material
  • •Historical development: Used for centuries to mean woven fabric for clothes and household use
  • •Modern usage: Common word for woven or knitted material used in everyday life, from clothing to cleaning

💭 Reflect & Connect

•How do different types of cloth affect the clothes we wear and how they feel?
•Can you think of a time when cloth was important to you, like a special piece of clothing or a gift?

Fill in the blanks with the correct word:

1.She bought soft cloth ___ to make a warm scarf for winter.
2.The cloth was used to ___ the dust off the table carefully.
3.Unlike paper, cloth is ___ and can be folded many times without tearing.
4.The tailor cut the cloth ___ to sew a new shirt.
5.When the cloth gets dirty, you need to ___ it or wash it.
6.Cloth can be made from cotton, wool, or ___ fibers like polyester.
7.A clean cloth is often used to ___ glasses or mirrors without leaving marks.