pallium
Americannoun
-
a large, rectangular mantle worn by men in ancient Greece and Rome.
-
Ecclesiastical.
-
a woolen vestment worn by the pope and conferred by him on archbishops, consisting, in its present form, of a narrow ringlike band that rests on the shoulders, with two dependent bands or lappets, one in front and one behind.
-
an altar cloth; a pall.
-
-
Anatomy. the entire cortex of the cerebrum.
-
Zoology. a mantle, as of a mollusk or bird.
noun
-
a garment worn by men in ancient Greece or Rome, made by draping a large rectangular cloth about the body
-
RC Church a woollen vestment consisting of a band encircling the shoulders with two lappets hanging from it front and back: worn by the pope, all archbishops, and (as a mark of special honour) some bishops
-
Also called: mantle. anatomy the cerebral cortex and contiguous white matter
-
zoology another name for mantle
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pallium
before 1150; Old English < Latin (not attested in ME); see pall 1
Explanation
In ancient times, philosophers and teachers commonly wore a pallium, or cloak, draped over their shoulders. Today, a pallium is mainly known as a religious vestment worn by the Pope. In the Catholic church, a pallium is worn only by the Pope and a few archbishops. This long, narrow band is white, and it has to be knitted at least in part from lambswool from sheep raised by Trappist monks. This garment, which is adorned with six black crosses, has a lot of religious significance to devout Catholics. The word itself simply means "cloak" in Latin.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pope Francis celebrates a Mass where he bestowed the Pallium, a woolen shawl symbolizing the bond to the pope, to 25 new Archbishops in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, June 29, 2016.
From US News • Jun. 29, 2016
On her wrists the Archbishop placed the Armills, or "Bracelets of sincerity and wisdom," over her shoulders was draped the golden Pallium, symbol of "the robe of righteousness and the garments of salvation."
From Time Magazine Archive
The Pallium was a cloak, generally worn by the Greeks, both men and women, freemen and slaves, but particularly by philosophers.
From The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Volume 02: Augustus by Suetonius Tranquillus, Gaius
Pallium is a long strip of fine cloth ornamented with crosses.
From Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England by Bede, Cuthbert
On reaching the church the Pallium is reverently laid on the high altar.
From The Purpose of the Papacy by Vaughan, John S. (John Stephen)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
