pallium

American  

[pal-ee-uhm] / ˈpæl i əm /

noun

pallia, plural palliums plural

1. a large, rectangular mantle worn by men in ancient Greece and Rome.

2. Ecclesiastical.

   1. 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.

   2. an altar cloth; a pall.

3. Anatomy. the entire cortex of the cerebrum.

4. Zoology. a mantle, as of a mollusk or bird.

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pallium British  

/ ˈpælɪəm /

noun

1. a garment worn by men in ancient Greece or Rome, made by draping a large rectangular cloth about the body

2. 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

3. Also called: mantle.  anatomy the cerebral cortex and contiguous white matter

4. zoology another name for mantle

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• palliums
  plural
• pallia
  plural

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

The findings further highlighted the importance of the pallium.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

And even the Roman toga was contrasted with the Greek pallium cloak, in an effort to articulate Roman identity.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Benedict had an image of a pallium integrated into his papal emblem.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 4, 2023

Benedict has been laying in state without any papal regalia, such as a crosier, a silver staff with a crucifix, or a pallium, a band of cloth worn around the neck worn by archdiocesan bishops.

From Reuters • Jan. 3, 2023

To the spectator's left, a man youthful in appearance, with a sparse beard, standing erect and robed only in the pallium, raises his right hand and points towards the Virgin and the star.

From The Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Volume 1, February, 1865 by Various

Related Words

• veil