Forms: 1 cláte, 3– clote, (4–5 cloote), 7 cloat, 7–9 clots, (cluts, clowts). [OE. cláte:—OTeut. type *klaitôn-: indicating a pre-Teut. root *gleid- (glid-, gloid-), prob. related to the simpler glei- to stick (see CLAY).
Of other names for this and similar plants, CLETE (? :—klaitjôn) and CLITE (? :—klít- or klit-) evidently belong to the same root; but CLITHE, and its family (root *glĭt-) and Ger. klette with its allies (root *glet-) are not connected, at least directly, though like clive and its cognates (root *glibh-) all may be ultimately based on the simpler *glei-, gli-.]
1. The Burdock (Arctium Lappa); also the prickly balls or burs which it bears.
a. 700. Epinal Gl., 144. Blitum clatae [Erf. & Corpus clate; Leiden Gl. 45 Lappa clate].
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 56. Bisceop wyrt … & clatan, wyl on ealað.
c. 1265. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 557. Lappa, bardane, clote.
1382. Wyclif, Hosea x. 8. Cloote and breere shal stye on the auters of hem.
a. 1387. Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.), 12. Bardana, clote, gert burr.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. xciii. (Tollem. MS.). ‘Lappa,’ þe clote [1535 clete] … haþ … knottes with crokid prikkes þat ofte cleueþ to mannis cloþes.
a. 1450. Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.), 20. Clote, cuius fructus uocatur, Burre.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Bardane, the herb … Cloates that beareth the greene Burre.
c. 1580. Puttenham, in Nichols, Progress Q. Eliz., III. 479. Clinginge as fast as little clotes Or burres uppon younge children’s cotes.
1611. Cotgr., Lampourde, the cloat, or great Burre.
1691. Ray, N. C. Words, Cluts, clots, petasites; rather burrdock.
1703. Motteux, Rabelais, IV. lii. (1737), 214. Lousebur, Clote.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), II. Persolata, a burdock, the herb clots, that beareth the greatest bur.
1820–6. Wilbraham, Gloss. Chesh., Clots or clouts, burrs or burdock.
2. Applied to other plants either from some resemblance to the preceding, or through some mistake: among these are Clivers (Galium Aparine), the Bur-weed (Xanthium Strumarium), the Colts-foot and Butter-bur (Tussilago farfara and Petasites); the Yellow Water Lily (Nuphar lutea), (Water Clote), the latter still in s.w. of England.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 122. ʓenim doccan oððe clatan þa þe swimman wolde. Ibid., I. 306. Þa man eac oþrum naman clate nemneð … ys stið on leafon, & heo hafað greatne stelan, & hwite blostman, & heo hafað heard sæd & sinewealt.
a. 1387. Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.), 43. Ungula caballina est duplex, videlicet terrestris … et aquatica cujus fios dicitur nenufar. Ungula caballina campestris i. clote.
1572. Mascal, Govt. Cattle, 222 (Br. & Holl.). Water-clot … which hath a broad leaf on the water.
c. 1610. Fletcher, Faithf. Sheph., II. i. This is the Clote bearing a yellow flower.
1863. Barnes, Dorset Gram. & Gloss., 43. Clote, the yellow water-lily.
3. attrib. and Comb., as clote-leaf, -ridden. See also CLOT-BUR, CLOT-WEED.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Chan. Yem. Prol. & T., 24. A Clote leef he hadde vnder his hood ffor swoot, and for to kepe his heed from heete.
1864. W. Barnes, in Macm. Mag., Oct., 478. On where the clote-ridden river do flow.
