cleat (kl?t)n.1. A strip of wood or iron used to strengthen or support the surface to which it is attached.2. a. A projecting piece of metal or hard rubber attached to the underside of a shoe to provide traction.b. cleats A pair of shoes with such projections on the soles.3. a. A piece of metal or wood having projecting arms or ends on which a rope can be wound or secured.b. Any of various other fittings by means of which a rope can be secured.4. A wedge-shaped piece of material, such as wood, that is fastened onto something, such as a spar, to act as a support or prevent slippage.5. A spurlike device used in gripping a tree or pole in climbing.tr.v. cleat·ed, cleat·ing, cleats To supply, support, secure, or strengthen with a cleat.[Middle English clete, from Old English *cl?at, lump, wedge.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.cleat (kli?t) n1. (Tools) a wedge-shaped block, usually of wood, attached to a structure to act as a support2. (Nautical Terms) a device consisting of two hornlike prongs projecting horizontally in opposite directions from a central base, used for securing lines on vessels, wharves, etc3. (Building) a short length of angle iron used as a bracket4. (Clothing & Fashion) a piece of metal, leather, etc, attached to the sole of a shoe to prevent wear or slipping5. (Tools) a small triangular-shaped nail used in glazing6. (Mining & Quarrying) any of the main cleavage planes in a coal seamvb (tr) 7. to supply or support with a cleat or cleats8. (Nautical Terms) to secure (a line) on a cleat[C14: of Germanic origin, compare Old High German chl?z clod, lump, Dutch kloot ball]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014cleat (klit) n. 1. a wedge-shaped block or strip of wood, metal, or the like, fastened to a surface to serve as a check or support. 2. a strip of metal, wood, or the like, fastened across a surface, as a ramp, to provide sure footing. 3. a conical or rectangular projection, usu. of hard rubber, attached to the sole of a shoe to provide greater traction. 4. a shoe fitted with such projections. 5. an object of wood or metal having one or two projecting horns to which ropes may be belayed. v.t. 6. to supply or strengthen with cleats; fasten to or with a cleat. [1350?1400; Middle English clete wedge, c. Dutch kloot ball, Old High German kl?z clod, lump; akin to clot] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.cleatPast participle: cleatedGerund: cleatingImperativePresentPreteritePresent ContinuousPresent PerfectPast ContinuousPast PerfectFutureFuture PerfectFuture ContinuousPresent Perfect ContinuousFuture Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousConditionalPast ConditionalImperativecleatcleatPresentI cleatyou cleathe/she/it cleatswe cleatyou cleatthey cleatPreteriteI cleatedyou cleatedhe/she/it cleatedwe cleatedyou cleatedthey cleatedPresent ContinuousI am cleatingyou are cleatinghe/she/it is cleatingwe are cleatingyou are cleatingthey are cleatingPresent PerfectI have cleatedyou have cleatedhe/she/it has cleatedwe have cleatedyou have cleatedthey have cleatedPast ContinuousI was cleatingyou were cleatinghe/she/it was cleatingwe were cleatingyou were cleatingthey were cleatingPast PerfectI had cleatedyou had cleatedhe/she/it had cleatedwe had cleatedyou had cleatedthey had cleatedFutureI will cleatyou will cleathe/she/it will cleatwe will cleatyou will cleatthey will cleatFuture PerfectI will have cleatedyou will have cleatedhe/she/it will have cleatedwe will have cleatedyou will have cleatedthey will have cleatedFuture ContinuousI will be cleatingyou will be cleatinghe/she/it will be cleatingwe will be cleatingyou will be cleatingthey will be cleatingPresent Perfect ContinuousI have been cleatingyou have been cleatinghe/she/it has been cleatingwe have been cleatingyou have been cleatingthey have been cleatingFuture Perfect ContinuousI will have been cleatingyou will have been cleatinghe/she/it will have been cleatingwe will have been cleatingyou will have been cleatingthey will have been cleatingPast Perfect ContinuousI had been cleatingyou had been cleatinghe/she/it had been cleatingwe had been cleatingyou had been cleatingthey had been cleatingConditionalI would cleatyou would cleathe/she/it would cleatwe would cleatyou would cleatthey would cleatPast ConditionalI would have cleatedyou would have cleatedhe/she/it would have cleatedwe would have cleatedyou would have cleatedthey would have cleatedCollins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011