a. Also 4–6 clothles, 6–8 cloath-. [f. CLOTH in its earlier sense of clothing, garment + -LESS. Since that sense became obsolete, CLOTHESLESS is substituted by some.] Without clothes, destitute of clothing.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pers. T., ¶ 269. In famyne, in thurst, in coold and cloothlees [v.r. clothles] and ones stoned almoost to the deeth.
a. 1400. Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. (1867), 9. Clatheles or nakede.
c. 1440. York Myst., xlviii. 287. Whanne I was clothles ȝe me cledde.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), 24/1. Ye sholde go sholesse & clothelesse.
1591. R. Turnbull, St. James, 121. Him that hath purse pennilesse: bodie cloathlesse.
1797. Monthly Rev., XXIII. 571. Wandering hordes, clotheless, roofless, and ferocious.
1847. W. E. Forster, in Reid, Life, I. 193. Women and children almost clotheless.
