Meaning & use
loincloth
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Meanings
nouncountable
A simple piece of cloth wrapped around the hips to cover the lower body, worn alone or under other clothing.
Grammar: Countable: a loincloth, two loincloths.
Patterns
- wear a loincloth
- dressed in a loincloth
The statue shows a figure in a plain loincloth.
Workers in the hot climate wore only a loincloth.
The museum displays a woven loincloth from ancient times.
nouncountableinformal
A garment of this kind seen in art, films, or stories to suggest primitive or ancient life.
Grammar: Often used in descriptions of fiction or art.
Patterns
- in nothing but a loincloth
The hero in the old film wore a loincloth and swung through the trees.
The cartoon cave dweller had a loincloth made of fur.
The painting shows a warrior in a loincloth.
Word forms
| plural | loincloths |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a loincloth
- Some villagers still wear a loincloth during ceremonies.
- woven loincloth
- A woven loincloth was found at the site.
- simple loincloth
- He wore a simple loincloth.
- leather loincloth
- A leather loincloth hung on the wall.
- tie a loincloth
- He showed how to tie a loincloth.
Synonyms and how they differ
- breechcloth
- Breechcloth is a near-synonym often used in descriptions of Native American dress.
- dhoti
- A dhoti is a longer cloth wrapped and tied around the waist and legs in South Asia, so it is not the same garment.
- sarong
- A sarong is a wide wrapped skirt, covering more than a loincloth.
- kilt
- A kilt is a tailored pleated skirt, and it is far more formal than a loincloth.
Word family
Commonly confused: loincloth or loin?
loincloth vs loin
Loin is also a cut of meat, such as pork loin, which has nothing to do with clothes.
Practice
Where would you most likely read about a loincloth?
Choose one answer.
Loincloth is used in historical or descriptive writing about traditional or ancient clothing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “loincloth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.