# cleat

> English word · Noun · IPA /kliːt/ · frequency rank #61,376

## Definitions
1. A strip of wood or iron fastened on transversely to something in order to give strength, prevent warping, hold position, etc.
2. A continuous metal strip, or angled piece, used to secure metal components.
3. A device to quickly affix a line or rope, and from which it is also easy to release.
4. A protrusion on the bottom of a shoe or wheel meant for better traction.
5. An athletic shoe equipped with cleats.

## Etymology
From Middle English clete, from Old English *clēat (“block, wedge”), from Proto-West Germanic *klaut, from Proto-Germanic *klautaz (“firm lump”), from Proto-Indo-European *gelewd-, from *gley- (“to glue, stick together, form into a ball”). Cognate with Dutch kloot (“ball; testicle”) and German Kloß (“clump”). See also clay and clout.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cleat