sackcloth

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sackcloth

Where it comes from

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

noun sackcloths

countable, uncountable A coarse hessian style of cloth used to make sacks.
also, countable, figuratively, uncountable, usually, with “and ashes” Garments worn as an act of penance. After he realised the gravity of his crime he spent some time wearing sackcloth and ashes.
Similar: hairshirt, cilice

Translations

Every language

noun cloth

中文	麻布 mábù
Português	aniagem
Français	toile à sac
Deutsch	Sackleinen
Русский	мешкови́на meškovína, дерю́га derjúga
עברית	שַׂק shaq

noun figuratively: garment worn as act of penance

Español	sambenito
Русский	власяни́ца vlasjaníca
עברית	שַׂק shaq

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MLA

"sackcloth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sackcloth. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

sackcloth. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sackcloth

Chicago

"sackcloth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sackcloth.

BibTeX

@misc{sackcloth_2026,
  title = {sackcloth},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sackcloth},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}