Cleat
/kliːt/noun
A projecting piece or strip used for fastening, gripping, or reinforcing, especially on shoes, boats, or hardware.
Did you know?Cleat is an old nautical and carpentry word tied to the idea of a projecting piece that helps secure ropes or objects, and its deep ancestry reaches back to the same root that gave English words for clinging and sticking.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*glei-
“to stick, adhere, or be sticky”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kleitaz
“a cleat or projecting fastening piece”
Old English
OE
clǣte
“a cleat, peg, or fastening piece”
Middle English
ME
cleet
“a cleat or shoe stud”
Modern English
English
cleat
“a projecting piece used for fastening or gripping”