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.
1
A strip of wood or iron fastened on transversely to something in order to give strength, prevent warping, hold position, etc.
[...] the people of that island erected lofty spars along the seacoast, to which the look-outs ascended by means of nailed cleats, something as fowls go upstairs in a hen-house.1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 35”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
I had learned that cattle willingly walk down a ramp that has cleats to provide secure, nonslip footing.1995, Temple Grandin, Thinking in Pictures, page 6:
2
A continuous metal strip, or angled piece, used to secure metal components.
3
Nautical, Transport 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.
Near-synonym: calk
5
An athletic shoe equipped with cleats.
He needs to put on five pieces of gear: his helmet, left glove, right glove, left cleat, and right cleat.2020, Allyssa Loya, Sporty Bugs and Errors, page 26:
Italy, which lifted the trophy for the fourth time in Berlin two decades ago, has been spiraling downward ever since. The Azzurri didn’t survive their group in 2010 and 2014 and haven’t qualified since. This time the Norwegians, known more for their skill on skis than in cleats, beat them twice in group play by a combined 7-1. Then the Italians lost the playoff to Bosnia-Herzegovina on penalty kicks. Even with a swollen field, just getting here is an accomplishment.2026 June 21, John Powers, “The World Cup group stage was supposed to be a feeding frenzy. So far, not so much.”, in The Boston Globe, retrieved 21 Jun 2026:
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.
1
To strengthen with a cleat.
An inner floor over the whole area of the deck provides a space for all the cable and pipe runs. On one side the cables are cleated into a duct which is sealed against the ingress of water and oil; the pipe lines run underneath the opposite side floor.1960 April 23, “Type "3" Diesel-Electric Locomotives for the Southern Region”, in Railway Magazine, page 239:
2
Nautical, Transport To tie off, affix, stopper a line or rope, especially to a cleat.