cassock

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a long, close-fitting garment worn by members of the clergy in some Christian traditions

   The priest wore a black cassock beneath his white surplice.

2. 2
   noun

   a long coat or loose gown worn historically by soldiers or ordinary people

   The actor's woolen cassock helped establish the play's seventeenth-century setting.

Simplified etymology

Cassock came through French casaque “long coat” from Italian casacca “riding coat,” probably based on Turkic kazak “vagabond, nomad.” In English it once denoted a long coat worn by some soldiers, while its clerical use arose in the 17th century.

From Middle French casaque ‘long coat,’ probably transmitted through European words for a cloak or coat. In English it first had broader clothing senses before becoming especially associated with the ankle-length robe of Christian clergy.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary