Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A strip of wood or iron used to strengthen or support the surface to which it is attached.
- noun A projecting piece of metal or hard rubber attached to the underside of a shoe to provide traction.
- noun A pair of shoes with such projections on the soles.
- noun A piece of metal or wood having projecting arms or ends on which a rope can be wound or secured.
- noun A wedge-shaped piece of material, such as wood, that is fastened onto something, such as a spar, to act as a support or prevent slippage.
- noun A spurlike device used in gripping a tree or pole in climbing.
- transitive verb To supply, support, secure, or strengthen with a cleat.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In coalmining, the principal set of cleavage-planes by which the coal is divided.
- noun . Nautical:
- noun A piece of wood or iron consisting of a bar with arms, to which ropes are belayed.
- noun A piece of wood nailed down to secure something from slipping.
- noun A piece of iron fastened under a shoe to preserve the sole.
- noun A piece of wood nailed on transversely to a piece of joinery for the purpose of securing it in its proper position or of strengthening it.
- noun A strip nailed or otherwise secured across a board, post, etc., for any purpose, as for supporting the end of a shelf.
- noun A trunnion-bracket on a gun-carriage.
- noun . The burdock.
- noun Butter-bur.
- To strengthen with a cleat or cleats.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To strengthen with a cleat.
- noun (Carp.) A strip of wood or iron fastened on transversely to something in order to give strength, prevent warping, hold position, etc.
- noun (Naut.) A device made of wood or metal, having two arms, around which turns may be taken with a line or rope so as to hold securely and yet be readily released. It is bolted by the middle to a deck or mast, etc., or it may be lashed to a rope.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A strip of
wood oriron fastened ontransversely to something in order to givestrength , preventwarping , holdposition , etc. - noun A
continuous metal strip, orangled piece, used tosecure metalcomponents . - noun nautical A
device to quickly affix a line or rope, and from which it is also easy to release. - noun A
protrusion on the bottom of ashoe meant for bettertraction . (Seecleats .) - verb To
strengthen with a cleat. - verb nautical To tie off,
affix ,stopper a line or rope, especially to a cleat
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb secure on a cleat
- noun a fastener (usually with two projecting horns) around which a rope can be secured
- noun a strip of wood or metal used to strengthen the surface to which it is attached
- noun a metal or leather projection (as from the sole of a shoe); prevents slipping
- verb provide with cleats
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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"A man might or might not have many reasons for calling a cleat a timber noggin besides that of not knowing any better than to do so," I responded.
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[Footnote: The cleat is a T-shaped mass of metal employed for the fastening of ropes.]
Fragments of science, V. 1-2 John Tyndall 1856
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In even small crashes I’ve had riders break a cleat or a buckle on their shoes.
Ask Nick: Tire choice for an epic, re-gluing tubulars, post-crash replacements and more 2011
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Two-thirds of the way up from the bottom of the corresponding edge of the matching flat there is a "cleat," or metal strip, into which the rope, or
Writing for Vaudeville Brett Page
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According to the DRAE, "tapón" is what is used in Argentina and Uruguay for "cleat".
unknown title 2009
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The cleat is a quick first check to determine what's mechanically wrong with a vehicle before wasting time hunting for potentially simple problems, "he says.
All DN headlines 2009
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I've seen people tie the boat to the dock then back it in breaking off the cleat.
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It's made of leather that has been dimpled like a wingtip but also has a recessed cleat that will attach to pedals—without clicking on the floor when walking.
Beyond Spandex: Chic Styles for Cyclists Take Off Christina Binkley 2011
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Speaking only for myself, I already feel like competitive athletics are sufficiently glamorized in more than enough venues, so I would much prefer if they kept their muddy cleat prints off of my comics, thank you very much.
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I've seen people tie the boat to the dock then back it in breaking off the cleat.
reallifepixel commented on the word cleat
2. (Transport / Nautical Terms) a device consisting of two hornlike prongs projecting horizontally in opposite directions from a central base, used for securing lines on vessels, wharves, etc.
August 15, 2010