cloth
[noun]
Synonyms: fabric, material, textiles

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English Thesaurus: material, fabric, cloth, textiles, substance, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

cloth S3 /klɒθ $ klɒːθ/ noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: clath 'cloth, piece of clothing']

1. [uncountable] material used for making things such as clothes
cotton/woollen/silk etc cloth
a dress of the finest silk cloth

2. [countable] a piece of cloth used for a particular purpose:
She mopped her face with a wet cloth.
Is there a clean cloth for the table? ⇒ dishcloth, facecloth, tablecloth

3. man of the cloth formal a Christian priest

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

cloth
noun
I. material used for making clothes, curtains, etc.
ADJ. coarse, fine | homespun | woven | cotton, damask, linen, woollen a jacket made from woollen cloth
QUANT. bale, bolt, length | piece, scrap, strip
VERB + CLOTH make, produce, weave | dye
CLOTH + NOUN industry, manufacture, merchant, mill, trade

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

cloth
II. piece of cloth used for a particular purpose
ADJ. damp, dry, soft Wipe the table with a damp cloth.
cleaning, floor, polishing | table (also tablecloth) | tea | loin (also loincloth)

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

cloth
noun
1.
BAD: I bought some cheap cloth to make some curtains.
GOOD: I bought some cheap material to make some curtains.

Usage Note:
Cloth (uncountable) usually refers to material made of cotton, wool etc that is used for making clothes: 'The tailor took my measurements and then showed me several rolls of cloth.'
Material (and fabric) have a more general meaning and may be used in connection with clothes, curtains, sheets, etc: 'The cushion covers and the curtains were made from the same material.' 'They specialize in the manufacture of elasticated fabric.'

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2.
BAD: He likes fast cars and expensive cloths.
GOOD: He likes fast cars and expensive clothes.
BAD: None of the cloth shops had any pink socks.
GOOD: None of the clothes shops had any pink socks.

Usage Note:
A cloth is a piece of material made of cotton, wool, etc, usually used for cleaning or drying something: 'I'm afraid I've spilled some milk. Have you got a cloth?' 'I need a new face cloth.'
Clothes are the things people wear, such as trousers, sweaters, etc: 'I spend half my salary on clothes.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

material noun [uncountable and countable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains etc:
She bought some pretty dress material.
fabric noun [uncountable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains etc:
Man-made fabrics such as polyester are easy to wash and iron.
furnishing fabrics
cloth noun [uncountable] woven material, especially material made from natural substances such as cotton and wool, which has not yet been made into any other products:
The main trade was the production of woollen cloth.
textiles noun [plural] formal a general word for all types of cloth – used especially when talking about the business of producing and selling them:
Textiles are one of Mexico’s main exports.
the textile industry
substance noun [countable] a type of material such as a chemical or a mineral:
The green colour of the leaf is due to a substance called chlorophyll.
Dioxin is one of the most toxic substances known to man.
matter noun [uncountable] formal a type of substance – used especially in the following phrases:
waste matter from the body
It is important to add plenty of organic matter to the soil.
People throw away lots of vegetable matter.
stuff noun [uncountable] informal a substance - used especially when you do not know exactly what it is:
What’s that sticky stuff on the floor?

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲