Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sackcloth

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.11 in modern English

Syllables: sack-cloth
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A coarse hessian style of cloth used to make sacks.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Garments worn as an act of penance.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"After he realised the gravity of his crime he spent some time wearing sackcloth and ashes."
"Next you saw her alone, a kneeling penitent at the foot of the crucifix; her long fair hair is unbound, and the sackcloth robe is girded by a cord round her slender shape: her hands are clasped, and tears are flowing fast from the quenched radiance of those shadowy eyes;..."
"No more ashes, no more sackcloth / And an armband made of black cloth / Will someday never more adorn a sleeve"

Etymology

From Middle English sakcloth, sekcloth, sekclath, sekklath. By surface analysis, sack + cloth.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: sakcloth

Usage

Inflected Forms

sackcloths (plural)

Derived Forms

sackclothed

Phrases

wear sackcloth and ashes

Synonyms

hairshirt cilice

Questions

What does sackcloth mean?: A coarse hessian style of cloth used to make sacks.
Where does sackcloth come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce sackcloth

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