peplos

or pep·lus

[ pep-luhs ]

noun

, plural pep·los·es.

1. a loose-fitting outer garment worn, draped in folds, by women in ancient Greece.

peplos

/ ˈpɛpləs /

noun

1. (in ancient Greece) the top part of a woman's attire, caught at the shoulders and hanging in folds to the waist Also calledpeplum

Other Words From

• pep·losed [pep, -l, uh, st], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of peplos¹

First recorded in 1770–80, peplos is from the Greek word péplos (masculine)

Word History and Origins

Origin of peplos¹

C18: from Greek, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

His name and that of his father, Antigonus, were woven into the sacred peplos.

From Project Gutenberg

The new peplos was carried to the temple, floating like a flag, in procession through the city.

From Project Gutenberg

On another Panathenaic vase she has a gown bordered with fighting men, evidently the sacred peplos.

From Project Gutenberg

Charmion bowed her head, and, turning, wrapped her dark-hued peplos round her.

From Project Gutenberg

Her flowered muslin peplos hung limply pleated around her shapely body in a succession of thin folds, which blew open and shut.

From Project Gutenberg