sackcloth \ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷\noun Etymology: Middle English sakcloth, from sak sack, bag, sackcloth + cloth 1.: a coarse cloth made of goat hair or camel hair or of flax, hemp, or cotton and used for sacks or garments 2.: a garment of sackcloth; especially: one worn as a sign of mourning, distress, penitence, or protest • - in sackcloth and ashes