Overcloth
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Any of various overgarments that consist primarily of a large cloth worn over the clothes. countable, uncountable
"His features, with the large overcloth or gown thrown over his shoulders, gave him rather the appearance of an Arab Fellatah Sheik, than that of a Grebo chief."
- 2 A tablecloth that is laid on top of another tablecloth, usually allowing some of the lower tablecloth to show. countable, uncountable
"Undercloth or table cloth Most restaurants now use a base cloth which covers the table. This is overlayed by a smaller table cloth called ‘overcloth’, ‘slip cloth’, or ‘napperons’. The overcloth is laid diagonally over the undercloth, and they are usually of contrasting colours. /[…]/ Using an undercloth has the following advantages. / 1. The steward is required to change only the overcloth after a guest or a group of guests leaves. Since the overcloth is small, the cost of laundering is reduced. / 2. Changing a soiled overcloth when the guest is seated is easier than changing a single table cloth without exposing the table surface to the guest."
- 3 A decorative cloth placed over the saddlecloth and below the saddle. countable, uncountable
"The overcloths of the saddles were loose, and the stirrups just admitting the toe tips, rendered mounting anything but a pleasure."
- 4 A cloth that is placed as a protective layer on top of something. countable, uncountable
"A damp cloth should be carefully spread over the lace and pressed with a hot iron until dry. A little sugar added to the water in which the overcloth is dampened will stiffen the lace."
- 5 The top of a double layer of canvas coverings that cover the presses used in mining. countable, uncountable
"The presses are dressed with double canvas and, when cleaning-up, the overcloths, after the precipitate has been removed, are soaked in weak hydrochloric acid to loosen the traces of precipitate still adhering in the interstices of the cloth, and are then scrubbed."
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- 6 A decorative cloth placed on top of something to give it a more refined appearance. countable, uncountable
"The faithful then seldom forgot in their wills the churches with which they had any connection , and in 1475 Joan Drywer, of Crumlin, bequeathed twelve pence to "the works of the church of Aderrig” and an overcloth for the altar."
Example
More examples"His features, with the large overcloth or gown thrown over his shoulders, gave him rather the appearance of an Arab Fellatah Sheik, than that of a Grebo chief."
Etymology
From over- + cloth.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.