| 释义 |
clothes, n. pl.|kləʊðz|
Forms: 1 cláðas, 2–3 claþes, 3–4 cloþes, 3– clothes, 6–8 cloaths, (north. 3–6 clathes, -is). Also 5–6 (dial. –9) close, (5 cloysse, 6 cloese, 7–8 cloes; 5 north. clase, Sc. 6 clais, 8 clayis, 8–9 claise, claes; also 4–5 clethis, clese.
[The original plural of cloth:—OE. clá-ðas, ME. clō-thes; the ō remaining in the (originally) open syllable, and the þ becoming ð between vowels, as in clothe vb., clothing, etc., and subsequently changing final s to z: cf. truth, truths, staff, staves, etc. As the singular cloth is not now used in the sense of ‘a garment’, and has received a new plural cloths for its extant sense, clothes remains a collective plural, without a singular; to express the latter, a phrase, such as ‘article of clothing’, or another word, such as ‘garment’, is used.
The distinction cloths, clothes, is chiefly of the 19th c. The ordinary 18th c. spelling was cloaths (pronounced with ð), as in cloath = clothe vb.
Almost immediately after the reduction of the ME. dissyllabic form to one syllable, by change of -es to -s, the ð began to disappear in pronunciation in all the dialect types, as shown by the spellings close, cloes, etc. (from clothes), clase, clais(e, claes, etc. (from north. clathes), clese (from clethes). These forms are still dialectal, and close |kləʊz| is frequent as a vulgar or careless pronunciation of clothes. All these phenomena are paralleled in other Germanic dialects, e.g. MHG. kleit, pl. kleider, MDu. cleet, pl. clêde, EFris. klêd, pl. klêr (for klêder), WFris. klaed, pl. klean, NFris. klâid, pl. klûe, Saterland klâth, pl. klôder, Wangeroog klêt, pl. klôder.
Examples of the reduced plural:
c1400Destr. Troy 774 Vppon clese. c1460Towneley Myst., Jacob 46 Mete and foode And close to body. 1516Plumpton Corr. Introd. 124 To beare the charge of hir close. 1553Inv. Ch. Goods, Staff. in Ann. Dioc. Lichf. (1863) 16, ij alter close. 1563T. Gale Antidot. ii. 26 Warme cloese. 1673Overseer's Acc. in Canterb. Press 27 June 7/3 To Mr. frind for cloes for willan parker. 1729Swift Grand Question Debated 138 Molly and I have thrust in our nose To peep at the Captain in all his fine clo'es. a1845Barham Ingol. Leg., Sir Rupert v, Cover'd ankles and toes, In other respects she was scanty of clothes.]
1. a. Covering for the person; wearing apparel; dress, raiment, vesture.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xvii, Wæpnu, and mete, and ealo, and claþas. c1000Ags. Ps. xliv. 10 [xlv. 8] Myrre, and gutta, and cassia dropiað of þinum claðum [Vesp. Ps. hreᵹlum]. c1205Lay. 2367 Muchel col, and claðes inowe. a1225Ancr. R. 14 Of ower cloðes [v.r. claðes] & of swuche þinges ase ðer abuten ualleð. 1297R. Glouc. (1724) 566 Cope & oþer cloþes. a1300Cursor M. (Gött.) 15025 Sum þan kest þair clethes dune. 1388Wyclif Matt. xxii. 12 Freend, hou entridist thou hidir withut bride clothis? 1483Caxton G. de la Tour F vj, She..arayed her with clothes of gold and flourynge of ryche ermynes. 1513More Rich. III, (1641) 192 Cloathes of gold. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. I. 636 Thair lynning claithis. 1596Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. i. 229 Maister, ha's my fellow Tranio stolne your cloathes? 1676C. Hatton in Hatton Corr. (1878) 128 All y⊇ Guards in new cloths. 1736Fielding Pasquin ii. i, Provided I wear fine cloaths. 1747Wesley Prim. Physic (1765) Introd. 21 The fewer Cloaths any one uses, the hardier he will be. 1808A. Parsons Trav. iii. 51 Being Sunday, everybody had their holiday cloaths on. 1831Carlyle Sart. Res. i. xi, The essence of all Science lies in the Philosophy of Clothes. 1856Emerson Eng. Traits, Wealth Wks. (Bohn) II. 68 A coarse logic rules throughout all English souls:—if you have merit, can you not show it by your good clothes, and coach and horses?
fig.1655Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 8 But not to dress a true story in cloaths of a Romance.
b. Often in comb. with a substantive or adj. indicating purpose, etc., as bed-clothes, body-clothes, church-clothes, swaddling-clothes, etc. (See under these words.)
a800Corpus Gloss. 623 Cunae, cild claðas. 1585Vestry Bks. (Surtees) 20 Washinge the churche clothes, vd.
c. spec. Applied to linen and other clothing which is periodically washed. (See also combinations.)
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. x. x. (1495) 379 Asshes..helpyth to wasshynge of clothes. 1598Shakes. Merry W. iii. v. 100 To carry mee in the name of foule Cloathes to Datchet-lane. 1878Huxley Physiogr. 68 When there is but little moisture in the air the clothes dry quickly. Mod. Sending the clothes to the wash. A laundress with a basket of clothes.
†d. to be in any one's clothes: to be in his place or position, to be he. (Cf. in his coat, skin, shoes.)
1649Bp. Hall Cases Consc. 20 How we would wish to be dealt with if we were in his cloathes.
2. Short for swaddling-clothes. (Cf. clouts.)
c1340Hampole Prose Tr. 5 Laid in a crybe and lapped in clathis. 1382Wyclif Luke ii. 7 Sche childide her firste born sone, and wlappide him in clothis. 1541Coverdale Old Faith Wks. 1844 I. x. 71 He [Christ] as a very man was wrapped in clothes, and laid in the crib. 1754–64Smellie Midwif. III. 453 The ignorant nurse had demanded a fire to warm the clothes or clouts.
3. Short for bed-clothes.
a1300Cursor M. 8599 (Cott.) Þair clathes [Trin. beddyng] was sa gnede and fa. 1463Bury Wills (Camd. Soc.) 23 The clothes of myn that longe to y⊇ bedde that she hath loyen in. 1563Richmond. Wills (1853) 167 Ye cloiths of ye geste bede. 1599Shakes. Hen. V, ii. iii. 24 So a bad me lay more Clothes on his feet. c1720Prior Poems (J.), She turned each way her frighted head Then sunk it deep beneath the clothes. 1801Jane Austen Let. 5 May (1952) 123, I have been awake ever since five and sooner; I fancy I had too much clothes over me.
¶ For clothes, cloath(e)s = cloths, see cloth.
4. attrib. and Comb., as clothes-broker, clothes-chest, clothes-monger, clothes-rack, clothes-spoiling, clothes-swimming, clothes-thatch, etc.; clothes-bag, -basket, a receptacle for clothes, etc., esp. those for the wash; clothes-conscious a., aware of, or (inordinately) interested in, clothes; clothes-dummy, a lay figure used to exhibit clothing on; clothes-hanger = coat-hanger (coat n. 14); clothes-line, -rope, a cord or wire on which to hang out washed clothes to dry; clothes-louse, a species of louse which infests the clothes of the uncleanly, a body-louse; clothes-maid = clothes-maiden; clothes-maiden (dial.) = clothes-horse; clothes-man, a dealer in clothes, esp. cast-off or second-hand clothes; clothes-peg, -pin, a forked wooden peg used to fasten linen on a clothes-line; clothes-pole U.S., a clothes-prop; clothes-post, -prop, a post, or prop for a clothes-line; clothes-screen, a clothes-horse; clothes-sense (see sense n. 11 c); clothes-stick, -tongs, a stick or tongs used by washerwomen for turning or lifting linen while boiling; clothes stop Naut., a stop (see stop n.2 10 a) used to hang up clothes after washing, or to tie up bundles of clothes; clothes-wringer, a machine for wringing or straining the water out of washed clothes. Also clothes-brush, -horse, -moth, -press.
1834Knickerbocker III. 81 The crew were disposed in various groups about the deck,..some with their *clothes-bags beside them. 1879E. Garrett House by Works I. 78 The discarded collar and cuffs of yesterday were already in the clothes-bag.
c1806D. Wordsworth Tour Scotl. in Jrnls. (1941) I. 409 Little John asleep in the *clothes-basket by the fire. 1828J. W. Croker in Croker Papers (1884) I. xiii. 404 Put into the dirty clothes basket.
1831Carlyle Sart. Res. iii. vi, That happy middle-state, which leaves to the *clothes-broker no hope either of sale or of purchase.
1928Daily Express 28 Dec. 11/1 While she dresses exceedingly well, she gives no impression of being a *clothes-conscious person. 1960E. H. Gombrich Art & Illusion ix. 310 Even the most clothes-conscious woman would not..claim she can predict how a hat will suit her without having tried it on.
1871Smiles Charac. x. (1876) 283 A *clothes-dummy at a tailor's door.
1934Webster, *Clothes hanger. 1937Discovery July 198/1 Behind them, as if on a giant clothes-hanger, hung three complete horses' skins.
1830Marryat King's Own xli, I see two poles for *clothes-lines.
1853Mrs. Gaskell Cranford ix. 166 The room being divided with great *clothes-maids, over which Crosby's men were tacking red flannel.
1884Manch. Exam. 21 Nov. 5/4 To..hang all the clothes, etc., on stands like large *clothes-maidens to be aired and fumigated.
a1845Barham Ingol. Leg., Merch. Ven. Moral, When they deal with old *clothesmen. 1868Yates Rock Ahead iii. vii, A Jew clothesman going his rounds.
1868Sat. Rev. 24 Oct. 548/1 Pretexts invented by the art of the decorator and the *clothesmonger for making fortunes out of the folly of women.
1825Hone Every-Day Bk. I. 701 He turned a sunbeam into a *clothes-peg.
1866Harvard Mem. Biog. II. 21 Short sticks about as large as *clothes-pins.
1865Atlantic Monthly XV. 659 She never conjectures to what base uses a *clothes-pole may come.
1903Westm. Gaz. 10 Oct. 2/1 Holding out gaunt branches like spectral *clothes-props against the sky.
1857D. H. Strother Virginia 46 He..strode out,..knocking over the *clothes-rack in his progress. 1914Joyce Dubliners 130 Four cane chairs, a clothes-rack.
1831Carlyle Sart. Res. I. v. Clothes have made Men of us; they are threatening to make *Clothes-screens of us. 1832― Remin. I. 16 The mere clothes-screens of rank.
1932R. Lehmann Invit. Waltz iii. iv. 199 It takes a man to teach a woman how to dress. The majority of them don't develop a *clothes-sense till they've had a lover. 1960Guardian 1 July 8/2 Anthea..has precocious clothes-sense.
1824Miss Mitford Village Ser. i. (1863) 159 The sopping, the drying, the *clothes-spoiling, the cold-catching, and all the small evils of a summer shower.
1883Man. Seamanship for Boys' Training Ships 7 The hammocks are stopped to the gantline by a rolling hitch, and *clothes' stops are fitted on the bight.
1881Daily News 6 June 6/8 For those who would like to practise tumbling in the water and *clothes swimming.
1831Carlyle Sart. Res. I. viii. These considerations of our *Clothes-thatch.
▸ clothes-line n. chiefly U.S. Sport a blow across the neck (or sometimes head) with an outstretched arm (cf. clothesline v.); (Amer. Football) a tackle effected with such a blow (more fully clothes-line tackle).
1954Nevada State Jrnl. 19 Oct. 12/3 (caption) Sharp blocking and a *clothesline tackle are demonstrated in one shot. 1993Sat. Night (Toronto) Feb. 56/2 I'd like to see the Warrior do three or four moves in the ring... He has a clothesline..but that's it. |