To cover or coat something, especially with clay or a clay-like substance; to plaster or smear.
From Old English 'clēdan' or 'claedian,' derived from 'clæd' (to clothe or cover). The meaning shifted from general covering to specifically applying clay as a building or waterproofing material.
Before modern mortar and concrete, craftspeople would clead wattle-and-daub huts with wet clay and straw—their hands were literally their trowels, and a good cleader was worth their weight in shelter!
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