cleat

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a wedge-shaped piece fastened to or projecting from something and serving as a support or check
b
: a wooden or metal fitting usually with two projecting horns around which a rope may be made fast
2
a
: a strip fastened across something to give strength or hold in position
b(1)
: a projecting piece (as on the bottom of a shoe) that furnishes a grip
(2)
cleats plural : shoes equipped with cleats

cleat

2 of 2

verb

cleated; cleating; cleats

transitive verb

1
: to secure to or by a cleat
2
: to provide with a cleat

Examples of cleat in a Sentence

Noun a football player wearing cleats
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Detroit’s City Walls program sources local artists to paint the cleats, which will be auctioned off with proceeds sent toward a charity of the artist’s choice. Detroit Free Press, 21 Feb. 2024 Attach the angle cleats at the mark and below the cubbies with 1-5/8-inch screws for support. ​​​​​​ Step 7: Attach DIY Mailboxes Add house numbers to the fronts and sides of your mailboxes. Lucy Fitzgerald, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024 Golden is also based in Missouri and runs Ozell Brand, making shoes and cleats. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2024 His presence has become so ingrained into the culture, in fact, that even if Smith decides to hang up the cleats for good, his legacy will live on long after he’s gone. Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 9 Jan. 2024 The knees are double-reinforced, there are storage and hand-warming pockets, D-rings on the front and back accommodate a net or wading staff, and—importantly—the studded cleats can help prevent a fall into dangerously cold currents. Morgan Lyle, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 The tweet illustration shows white cleats, but not sure about that one. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Cord cleats, pictured on the left, and tension devices can make cords less hazardous. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 20 Dec. 2023 Where Crawford used to own three stalls — one exclusively for his cleats — now belongs to Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison and Keaton Winn. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024
Verb
To put it plainly: the GOP still hasn’t learned that its dancing partner is wearing boots cleated with arsenic. Philip Elliott, Time, 10 July 2023 Offensive tackle Michael Wooten warmed up with the limited group but had full pads and cleats on. oregonlive, 9 Apr. 2023 Attach the angle cleats at the mark and below the cubbies with 1-5/8-inch screws for support. Lucy Wendel, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Apr. 2020 In 2018, James gifted OSU football players black his signature Nike Soldier XII cleats for the team’s game against Nebraska. Joey Morona, cleveland, 24 Dec. 2019 In 2018, James gifted OSU football players his black signature Nike Soldier XII cleats for the team’s game against Nebraska. cleveland, 24 Dec. 2019 Lopez is a shoe designer on the side, and Betts, who is sponsored by Jordan Brand, wanted three customized Jordan XIII cleats from him. Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2019 Vikings safety Anthony Harris, who enrolled at Virginia a year after Love’s death, also has worn One Love Foundation cleats each of the past two seasons. Chris Tomasson, Twin Cities, 8 July 2019 The Elks defeated the Red Sox, 11-6, in a game that offered a double whammy to La Cañada, which had a player ejected and suspended for allegedly cleating an Elks player on a play at first base. Andrew J. Campa, latimes.com, 24 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cleat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English clete wedge, from Old English *clēat; akin to Middle High German klōz lump — more at clout

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cleat was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cleat

Cite this Entry

“Cleat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleat. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cleat

noun
ˈklēt
1
: a wooden or metal device around which a rope may be made fast
2
: a strip or projection fastened on or across something (as a shoe) to give strength or a place to hold or to prevent slipping

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