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Glite Dictionary
breechcloth

breechcloth

1 9.9
A strip of cloth worn around the waist and between the legs, often by Indigenous peoples as a traditional garment
  • noun
  • /ˈbrichˌklɔθ/
translation icon : taparrabos
  • His body was bare except for a deerskin breechcloth that almost touched the tops of his knees.
  • wearing a breechcloth

Examples

  • A calico shirt is gathered at the waist with a wampum belt of small white beads over a breechcloth.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • She turned to go back to the tipi when she saw him standing at the entrance, wearing only his breechcloth.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Their men cannot wear just a breechcloth like our men.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Some still wore the breechcloth under their school uniforms.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Beneath them, he wore only a tight breechcloth of thin white cotton.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • A long tomahawk is in the belt of his breechcloth.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He was naked but for a breechcloth, carrying a bow, arrows, and a lance.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • He tied on his breechcloth, then took his knife from his weapons and faced Bear Paw.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He no longer wore his purple tobe, but a simple breechcloth.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He was wearing a traditional breechcloth made from colorful fabric during the festival.

Synonyms

loincloth
vsbreechcloth
11 7.1

A simple cloth worn around the hips to cover the private parts

is noted particularly among some Indigenous peoples rather than general traditional use
breechclout
vsbreechcloth
1 9.9

A small cloth worn around the hips to cover the lower body

is used mainly by some Indigenous peoples rather than broadly across cultures
waistcloth
vsbreechcloth
  • Archaic
8.9

A piece of cloth tied around the waist to hold up a skirt or trousers

is mainly a loin covering rather than a garment support band
cincture
vsbreechcloth
  • Archaic
9.9

A band of cloth worn around the waist to fasten a robe or dress

is a loin covering rather than a formal fastening band for robes

How Revealing

loincloth
11 7.1
breechcloth
1 9.9
shorts
1 1.0
breeches
  • Archaic
1 9.9
trousers
110 1.0

Surface Forms

breechcloth singular
breechcloths plural

Morphology

breechcloth = breech + cloth (transparent) = breech + cloth

The meaning is a literal compound: a cloth used at the breech (loins), so the sense follows directly from its parts.

Etymology

Breechcloth joins breech ('lower body' or 'buttocks') and cloth ('piece of fabric'), so it literally means 'cloth for the lower body'. You can also see the same root in the old word breeches ('pants'), which helps you remember it is a garment for the hips and waist. That's why a breechcloth is a simple strip of fabric worn around the hips or waist as a traditional garment.