Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

Sackcloth is a coarse fabric made from materials like goat or camel hair, or from flax, hemp, or cotton. It is also used to refer to a garment made from this material, worn as a sign of mourning or penitence.1

The phrase "wear sackcloth and ashes" signifies publicly expressing sorrow or regret for wrongdoing.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.