unclothev.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈkləʊð/, /(ˌ)ʌŋˈkləʊð/, U.S. /ˌənˈkloʊð/ 1.
a. transitive. To remove the clothes from (a person, the body, etc.); to undress. Formerly also: †to divest (a person) of clothing (obsolete).In extended use in quot. ?1440: to uncover (a plant).
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > providing with clothing > undressing or removing clothing > undress or remove clothing [verb (transitive)] > strip or undress a person
to dight nakedc1200
stripa1225
unclothec1300
nakea1350
despoilc1386
spoilc1386
spoila1400
uncleada1400
undighta1400
unarray14..
disarrayc1425
disattire?1473
unray1485
uncover1530
tirr1553
disclothe1570
disvesture1570
uncoat1571
uncase1576
unapparel1577
disrobe1590
unrig1591
unbusk1596
unstrip1596
untire1597
devest1598
unparel1603
unshale1604
unvest1609
disapparel1610
flaya1616
undress1615
disinvest1619
disvest1627
despoil1632
blanch1675
unpack1765
ungarment1805
peel1820
divest1848
divesture1854
c1300 Havelok (Laud) (1868) 659 Grim dede maken a ful fayr bed; Vncloþede him, and dede him þer-inne.
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Matt. xxvii. 28 And thei vnclothinge [L. exuentes] hym, diden aboute hym a rede mantel.
tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) iv. 449 In the wynter seson, Couert of stre their coldes most appeson. When somer comth, vnclothe hem.
1485 Device Coronation Henry VII in W. Jerdan Rutland Papers (1842) 16 Wher as the King shalbe vnraied and vnclothed by his Chamberlayn.
1556 tr. J. de Flores Histoire de Aurelio & Isabelle sig. Q They vnclothede him of his garmentes.
1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. x. 476 I was..vnclothed to my skin.
1691 A. Gavin Frauds Romish Monks iv. 159 This action of clothing and unclothing the Figure of a Woman, is a thing that offends the Minds of those that are never so little Chaste or Modest.
1738 Impartial Acct. Barbarous Cruelties in Inquisition 128 Unclothing him to the very Shirt, and searching his Breeches.
1818 G. Soane tr. F. H. K. de La Motte Fouqué Undine ii. 22 We then unclothed the child, put it to bed, and gave it warming cordials.
1890 Boston Sunday Globe 17 Aug. 19/3 Among certain African tribes, it is the custom on meeting..to unclothe the upper portion of the body.
1915 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 21 Aug. 283/2 To them [sc. the orderlies] was left the duty of unclothing the patients, shaving their heads, and passing them through the bath of disinfectant.
1980 Feminist Stud. 6 133 Description and depiction of heterosexual sex consistently showed men unclothing and cajoling women.
2004 S. O. Buckridge Lang. of Dress 13 Clothing and unclothing the body..are activities that transform, manipulate and reveal ideologies of both body and dress.
b. transitive (reflexive). To remove one's clothes. Formerly also: †to divest oneself of (or from) clothing (obsolete).In quot. c1384 with clothing as second object. In quot. 1661 in extended use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > providing with clothing > undressing or removing clothing > undress or remove clothing [verb (reflexive)]
stripa1225
spoila1382
unclothea1382
despoil1388
spoila1395
undighta1400
uncase1576
disrobe1581
unreadya1586
untire1597
devest1598
discasea1616
undressa1616
disvest1627
doff1697
tirr1787
unray1825
divest1848
undrape1869
unrind1872
shuck1897
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Isa. xxxii. 11 Vnclothe ȝou [L. exuite vos], & beth confoundid.
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Ezek. xliv. 19 Thei shuln vnclothe hem her clothingus [L. exuent se vestimenta sua].
1440 J. Capgrave Life St. Norbert (1977) l. 1157 He onclothid him of his vestimentis alle.
1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) xxii. 491 He wente to his chambre, & vnclothed hymselfe from his goode raymentes.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement Table of Verbes f. ccclxxxxviiv /1 Unclothe you at ones for you shall be trymmed starke naked.
1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie ii. xxi. f. 58v Seats..vppon the whiche they vncloth themselues.
1661 S. Morgan Sphere of Gentry i. vi. 87 The Sheep doth uncloth it self to apparel man.
1699 W. Dampier Voy. & Descr. iii. iv. 41 Men when they go to Bed uncloath themselves and lye without any thing over them.
1751 M. Towgood Dipping not Only Scriptural & Primitive Manner of Baptizing 18 It is the height of absurdity to imagine that Judith, in the Night, could..unclothe her self and plunge her whole Body therein [sc. in a fountain of water].
1795 J. Thomson tr. C. de Pauw Philos. Diss. Egyptians & Chinese I. 48 The Jews, who unclothed themselves to dance around the calf in the desert.
1851 H. C. Watson Six Nights in Block-house 284 Many of the men unclothed themselves, and placing their garments, arms, and ammunition in the trough, swam by its sides.
1893 A. E. Barr Singer from Sea xi. 220 She unclothed herself, and once more lay down in her home to sleep.
1920 San Antonio (Texas) Light 22 Dec. 6/7 With itchy, nervous fingers he unclothed himself, with swimming head he lay down in his bed.
1994 Jrnl. Film & Video 46 50/2 She merely unclasps the front of her bra, never fully unclothing herself.
c. transitive. In extended use: to divest of; (also) to uncover, reveal.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > uncovering > uncover or remove covering from [verb (transitive)] > release or free from a covering (the soul, etc.)
unclothec1384
unhouse1594
unhood1648
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > uncovering > [verb (reflexive)] > divest oneself or one's mind of something
unclothec1384
society > communication > manifestation > disclosure or revelation > disclose or reveal [verb (transitive)]
unwryc825
unhelec1000
to draw forthc1175
unhillc1200
to bring forth?c1225
unsteekc1250
let witc1275
uncovera1300
wraya1300
knowc1300
barea1325
shrivec1374
unwrapc1374
again-covera1382
nakena1382
outc1390
tellc1390
disclosea1393
cough1393
unhidea1400
unclosec1400
unhaspc1400
bewrayc1405
reveal1409
accusea1413
reveil1424
unlocka1425
unrekec1425
disclude?1440
uncurec1440
utter1444
detect1447
break1463
expose1483
divinec1500
revelate1514
to bring (also put) to light1526
decipher1529
rake1547
rip1549
unshadow1550
to lay to sight1563
uppen1565
unlace1567
unvisor?1571
resign1572
uncloak1574
disshroud1577
spill1577
reap1578
unrip1579
scour1585
unharboura1586
unmask1586
uncase1587
descrya1591
unclasp?1592
unrive1592
discover1594
unburden1594
untomb1594
unhusk1596
dismask1598
to open upc1600
untruss1600
divulge1602
unshale1606
unbrace1607
unveil1609
rave1610
disveil1611
unface1611
unsecret1612
unvizard1620
to open up1624
uncurtain1628
unscreen1628
unbare1630
disenvelop1632
unclothe1632
to lay forth1633
unshroud1633
unmuffle1637
midwife1638
dissecret1640
unseal1640
unmantle1643
to fetch out1644
undisguise1655
disvelop1658
decorticate1660
clash1667
exert1692
disinter1711
to up with1715
unbundlea1739
develop1741
disembosom1745
to open out1814
to let out1833
unsack1846
uncrown1849
to bring (out) in (also into) the open1861
unfrock1866
disbosom1868
to blow the lid off1928
flush1950
surface1955
to take or pull the wraps off1964
c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Baruch iv. 20 I sothli am forsaken aloon. I haue vnclothide me the stole of pese [L. exui me stola pacis].
?c1400 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (BL Add. 10340) (1868) iv. met. vii. l. 4244 He vncloþed [emended in ed. to vncloþede] hym of pite as fader.
1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. CCiiiiv To vnclothe oure olde man and make hym all naked, that he maye be renewed in god.
1586 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. I. 466 Let vs learne to vncloath our hartes of all enuie and hatred.
1632 J. Hayward tr. G. F. Biondi Eromena i. 23 You'l uncloath your owne shame, and thereby procure your selfe many losses and disgraces.
1673 J. Flavell Fountain of Life v. 59 The Seleusians affirmed that he uncloathed himself of his humanity.
1725 I. Watts Logick i. vi. §1 In order..to a clear and distinct Knowledge of things, we must uncloath them of all these Relations and Mixtures, that we may contemplate them naked.
1762 C. Chauncy Validity Presbyterian Ordination App. 110 Unclothe the metaphors, qualify the hyperboles.., and put them into simple language.
1849 C. Stovel Canne's Necessitie of Separation Introd. p. lvi The sombre but joyous magnanimity of Frith unclothed an element in human nature which human expedients can never overcome.
1870 J. H. Newman Ess. Gram. Assent x. 419 Why am I..unclothing my mind of that large outfit of existing thoughts,..desires, and hopes, which make me what I am?
1979 E. Lovelace Dragon can't Dance i. 20 It would be unkind to confront Miss Cleothilda with a question whose answer must unclothe, unveil Cleothilda, perhaps even to her own self.
2002 Chasqui 31 ii. 3 Beltrán unclothes the pretensions of an empire and provides an alternative reading of history.
2. transitive. To strip (a tree, shrub, orchard, etc.) of leaves or vegetation.In quot. a1547 perhaps intransitive: to shed leaves.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > uncovering > uncover or remove covering from [verb (transitive)] > strip or make bare > strip of vegetation
unclothea1547
a1547 Earl of Surrey Poems (1964) 12 When Boreas gan his raigne, And every tree unclothed fast, as Nature taught them plaine.
a1609 J. Dennys Secrets of Angling (1613) i. v. sig. B1v When..blustring Boreas with his chilling cold, Vnclothed hath the Trees of Sommers greene.
1619 Bp. J. King Serm. Publicke Thanks-giuing 1 Our Saviovr rode into Ierusalem, accompanied with such multitudes of people, some vnclothing the trees, others their backes, to spread in his way.
1730 S. Duck Poems Several Subj. 19 A-cross one's Shoulder hangs a Scythe well steel'd, The Weapon destin'd to unclothe the Field.
1828 T. C. Henry Etchings from Relig. World 60 The half denuded rose-tree, which the season was unclothing.
1861 Good Words 2 539/2 October was beginning to unclothe the orchards.
1921 F. King Little Garden vii. 92 Do not unclothe a good shrub as you prune it.
2014 Atlanta Jrnl.-Constit. (Nexis) 18 Dec. (Living section) 4 d If you'd prefer to see the limbs unobscured, use a leaf blower to unclothe your trees.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > covering > uncovering > uncover or remove covering from [verb (transitive)] > uncover and expose > by withdrawing a cloth, etc.
unlapa1450
unclothe1607
unveil1657
to lay off1699
divest1814
society > occupation and work > equipment > mills > provide with mill [verb (transitive)] > alter sails of windmill
shroud1660
weather1746
unclothe1825
1607 G. Markham Cavelarice iii. 20 First let your Groome vncloath him, then..dresse him in such sort as belongs to his place and office.
1623 G. Markham Countrey Contentments, or Eng. Huswife (new ed.) v. 217 Couer it [sc. Malt] ouer with some thicke wollen clothes,..the warmth whereof will make it Come presently: which once perceiued, then forthwith vncloth it.
1739 R. Seymour Compl. Gamester (ed. 6) 298 First rub his [sc. a horse's] Limbs well, then unclothe him, then take his Back.
1825 ‘J. Nicholson’ Operative Mechanic 39 Many wind-mills are provided with flying-balls, which, by very ingenious mechanism, clothe and unclothe the sails just in proportion to the strength of the wind.
1893 Notes & Queries 8th Ser. 3 75/2 When the force of the wind increased, the miller was obliged to bring each of the sails in succession to the ground, in order to ‘unclothe’ it.
Derivatives
unˈclothing n. the action of unclothe v. (in various senses); an act or instance of this.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > providing with clothing > undressing or removing clothing > [noun]
stripping1398
unclothing1572
doffing1606
divesture1631
undressing1677
disrobement1747
disrobing1813
divestiture1820
peeling1832
divestment1854
1572 J. Higgins Huloets Dict. (rev. ed.) at Stripping Vnclothing, spoyling, or vnarayinge.
1643 J. Caryl Expos. 3 First Chaps. Iob (i. 21-22) 200 Death is called an uncloathing,..because it pulleth all outward things off from a man.
1759 tr. J. J. Rambach Considerations on Sufferings of Christ III. i. 14 This painful unclothing of our blessed Saviour.
1849 Church of Eng. Mag. 14 Apr. 257/2 The unclothing of the trees, scattered on the face of the earth, of their rich foliage.
2012 Artibus et Historiae 33 86/2 The clothing and unclothing of the various bodies..presents a sensorial comparison of the two representational arts of painting and sculpture.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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