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Cloth
Cloth, any large unframed expanse of scenic material, made of widths of canvas or muslin seamed horizontally together and attached top and bottom to a sandwich batten. (See under DROP for early English usage.) Among the specialized cloths are the backcloth; the Cut-Cloth (Cut-Out Drop in America), with cut openings which, if elaborately fretted, need the reinforcement of a piece of netting glued on behind; the Gauze-Cloth (Scrim Drop in America), used for cyclorama facing and for special effects such as a transparency (see TRANSFORMATION SCENE); the Sky-Cloth (Sky Drop), sometimes faced with gauze, used as a backdrop instead of a cyclorama; and the Stage-Cloth (Ground Cloth), with its variants such as the Sand-Cloth for desert and other outdoor scenes, an expanse of painted canvas laid on the stage as a floor covering, a function also performed by the tragic carpet.
The Ceiling-Cloth differs from the others in being battened out before being suspended over the top of a box-set; variations are the Roll Ceiling, which can be rolled up, and the Book (or Booked) Ceiling, consisting of two flats hinged together, which takes up less space in the flies. |
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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Cloth." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Cloth." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Cloth.html PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Cloth." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Cloth.html |
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cloth
cloth
A. piece of woven or felted stuff OE.; the stuff or material itself (in these two uses with mod. pl. cloths) XIV; B. †(coll.) clothing, raiment XII, equivalent to clothes, OE. clāþas, ME. clāþes, clōþes. OE. clāð = MDu. kleet (Du. kleed), MHG. kleit (G. kleid); cf. ON. klæði; of unkn. orig. So clothe vb., pt., pp. clothed and (arch.) clad provide with clothes. XII. ME. clāþen, pointing to OE. *clāðian, f. clāð. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "cloth." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "cloth." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cloth.html T. F. HOAD. "cloth." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cloth.html |
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cloth
cloth / klô[unvoicedth]/ • n. (pl. cloths / klô[voicedth]z; klô[unvoicedth]s/ ) 1. woven or felted fabric made from wool, cotton, or a similar fiber: ∎ a piece of cloth for a particular purpose, such as a dishcloth or a tablecloth: wipe clean with a damp cloth. 2. (the cloth) the clergy; the clerical profession: a man of the cloth. |
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Cite this article
"cloth." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cloth." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cloth.html "cloth." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cloth.html |
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cloth
cloth
•broth, cloth, froth, Goth, moth, Roth, wrath
•Sabaoth • Visigoth
•backcloth, sackcloth
•saddlecloth • waxcloth • grasscloth
•haircloth • J-cloth • sailcloth
•tablecloth • facecloth • cheesecloth
•dishcloth • washcloth • oilcloth
•loincloth • hawkmoth
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Cite this article
"cloth." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cloth." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-cloth.html "cloth." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-cloth.html |
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