2006-10-18 02:38:40 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
As a born and bred english speaker who also taught English let me see if i can explain.
to clothe means that someone else did the physical act of putting the clothes on someone. It is usually used to express the act of someone acquiring something that they normally would not wear.
EXAMPLE: He intended to clothe her in expression of his devotion.
to dress to actually put on the garments.
EXAMPLE: I intend to dress warmly today.
2006-10-18 02:46:02 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
To clothe someone would be going with them to a store and buy the things they need.
Dressing someone would be as in dressing a child to get them ready for school.
Looking at the other answers I am surprised that most seem to be ignorant of that... ;-)
2006-10-19 20:53:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"To dress" can mean "to put clothes on" or when followed by another noun, someone or something else: "I dressed" means I put clothes on, while "I dressed a doll" means I put clothes on the doll.
You can do the same thing with "to clothe", except if you want it to mean "to dress" you have to make it reflexive, like "I clothed myself". Normally an English speaker would not say that unless they meant it metaphorically, as in "I clothed myself in ashes" (meaning to go into mourning).
English is a crazy language: "to dress up" means to dress elegantly, while "to dress down" can mean to scold!
2006-10-18 10:35:54 · answer #3 · answered by camdenjohn2003 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To dress can be to put clothes on yourself or another person.
I have to dress before we can go out.
I have to dress my son before we go out.
(we would actually be more likely to say "get dressed," but this will work)
To dress has other meanings too. It can be related to your style of clothes:
He dresses well (meaning he wears expensive/stylish clothes)
To clothe on the other hand means to provide clothing for someone.
Parents say to their kids, " I feed you and clothe you, but you are still ungrateful."
Or charities might clothe the poor, which means they make sure that people have enough clothing for their day to day life.
2006-10-18 10:05:36 · answer #4 · answered by Love Shepherd 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
To clothe(Formal) : (1) to put clothes on your body
Example : The king was clothed in a purple gown.
(2) to provide clothes for yourself or other people
Example: My uncle fed and clothed me when I
was young.
To dress : (1) to put clothes on yourself
Example : I dress my son before I go to work.
(2) to wear a particular kind of clothes
Example : Dress warmly before you go out.
2006-10-18 12:16:29 · answer #5 · answered by Doight 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
clothe can be used in verb form as to to clothe someone or someting. its not very common becuase everybody uses dress up etc. noun form of clothe is uses a clothes, and it's usually always seen with in plural form, u don't ever see someone saying, "Im going to buy that clothe" or "Get dressed up in clothe".
2006-10-18 09:53:56 · answer #6 · answered by Tye 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You don't even need to worry about "to clothe" because hardly anyone uses it. Just say you are dressing someone and leave it at that.
2006-10-18 09:58:14 · answer #7 · answered by Belie 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Never heard the term To Clothe
You in Britian or Canada or one of them other foreign countries with funny terms like Lift, Flat, Colour!
2006-10-18 09:40:47 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it doesn't exist the verb 'to clothe'... clothe is a noun
the verb is 'to dress' and you dress on clothes...
2006-10-18 09:42:18 · answer #9 · answered by esther c 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
living dress
Non living to clothe ie cover ,TV etc.
2006-10-18 09:44:59 · answer #10 · answered by deepak57 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋