simple past tense and past participle of clothe
"The hikers were clad in heavy raincoats before setting out into the storm."
To clothe, to dress.
In plain English: To clad something means to cover it completely with another material, such as wrapping your phone case around it for protection.
"The mountain was clad in snow after the heavy storm passed through."
Wearing clothing or some other covering (for example, an armour) on the body; clothed, dressed.
"The knight clad in shining armor charged forward to face the dragon."
In plain English: Clad means covered completely with something, like being wrapped up from head to toe.
"The hikers were clad in warm jackets to face the freezing wind."
Usage: Use "clad" primarily in formal writing to describe someone wearing specific attire or armor, rather than as a casual synonym for "dressed." It often appears with prepositions like "in" followed by the material (e.g., clad in steel) rather than just the garment itself.
The word clad comes from the Middle English verb clethen, which originally meant to clothe someone or cover them with clothing. It traveled into modern usage as a past participle describing something that is covered or enveloped by an outer layer.