[ME. clad(d, f. OE. cláðod, -ed, inflected cláðde, cládde: see CLOTHE v. Clad belongs to all dialects; but, beside it, the north. dial. has cled, ME. cled(d, f. ON. klædd-r pa. pple. of klæða to clothe. As clad and cled are identical in meaning, they have been naturally taken as mere variants of the same word, and in this capacity cled occurs in other than northern writers: it is now however treated simply as the northern (chiefly Sc.) pronunciation of clad. This is one of the pa. pples. in which the prefix y- was resuscitated by the Elizabethan archaists, from whom yclad comes down as a ‘Spenserian’ form.]
1. Covered with clothes (or armor), clothed.
[c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark v. 15. Sittende ʓecladed & hales ðohtes.]
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1046. Wid griss and leues is he cladd.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 79. Cladde or clothydde, vestitus.
1463. Bury Wills (1850), 17. v. men clade in blak.
1484. Caxton, Chivalry, 89. Wel cladde.
1576. Gascoigne, Steele Gl. (Arb.), 62. In comely wise … yclad.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 1. A gentle Knight … Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde.
1602. Shaks., Ham., I. i. 166. The Morne in Russet mantle clad.
a. 1764. Lloyd, Progr. Envy, Poet. Wks. 1774, I. 146. A Female Form, yclad in snowy white.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 27. They are lightly clad in summer while at their work.
β. cled, etc.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5135 (Cott.). Cled … wit riche wede. Ibid., 13122. A man … cledd in silk.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 13. A man cled wiþ softe cloþis.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 217. In colours of clene golde cleede.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 472. Wel fedde, Or wel araied or cledde.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 133. Lo here a lytter redy cled.
1570. Levins, Manip., 48. Cledde, vestitus.
b. transf. Covered as with clothing.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3241. The close … With clauer and clereworte clede euene ouer.
1481. Caxton, Reynard (Arb.), 5. The trees clad with leuys and blossoms.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., VI. ix. 16. A cottage clad with lome.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., III. (1682), 124. Xerxes … seeing all the Sea clad with his Army.
1670–98. Lassels, Voy. Italy, I. 65. A world of … trees clad with chirping birds.
1816. Southey, Poet’s Pilgr., II. iv. Vine-clad hills.
1862. Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. xiv. 275. A long spur, now clad with olives.
2. fig. Invested, arrayed, decked.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 802 (Gött.). In welth and bliss was clad.
1436. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 203. He that was here claude in humanité.
1549. Bk. Com. Prayer, Ordination of Priests, That they may be cladde aboute with all Justice.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 71. Quha abhorred nocht to be cled with my fleshe.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. i. 33. Her words yclad with wisedomes Maiesty.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., VII. (1682), 289. The Sphynx with grandeur cled.
1683. Selden, Engl. Epin., iv. Wks. (1726), III. 17. A description of it … is thus clad in rhythmes.
c. 1720. Prior, Hymn to Sun, 29. Clad in rising majesty.
b. Sc. Law. Endowed or furnished with.
c. 1550. Balfour, Practicks (1754), 254 (Jam.). Until scho be maryit and cled with ane husband. Ibid., 340. The principall tenant, with quhais richt thay ar cled.
1858. Chambers, Dom. Ann. Scotland, II. 387. The Marquis of Argyle had obtained a formal gift of this vessel … and had become ‘clad with possession’ by taking guns … out of it.
3. Clad (cled) score: Sc. twenty-one, i.e., a score clad or furnished with one over.
1791. P. Parton, Kirkcudb. Statist. Acc., I. 187 (Jam.). Thankfulness to his Maker for having at last sent him the cled score, i.e. 21.
1863. N. Brit. Daily Mail, 18 Aug. An increase of from 5s. to 10s. per clad score was obtained.
