Cladding

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈklædɪŋ/

Definitions

1. A layer of material applied to the exterior of a building to provide protection and enhance appearance
2. An outer covering used on structures to shield the underlying surface from weather and improve aesthetic appeal
3. A protective or decorative surface layer fixed to the outside of a structure to safeguard it from environmental damage and offer visual enhancement

Etymology: "Cladding" is a plain formation: the past participle "clad" (dressed or covered, as in "clad in armour") with the suffix "-ing", which turns the action of covering into a thing that does the covering. The same pattern gives "clothing," which is built from the same root, so the two words are close relatives. Historically, "clad" is an older past form of "clothe," which is why it still sounds like an archaic word for dressed. In construction, the sense shifted from the act of covering to the material that does the covering: the panels, boards or sheets fixed over the outside of a building. The word therefore names the outer skin of a wall rather than the process of applying it. Modern usage extends this to any protective outer layer, though the building sense remains the central one.

Synonyms: covering, coating, sheathing, enclosure, overlay