cravat

American  

[kruh-vat] / krəˈvæt /

noun

1. necktie.

2. a cloth, often made of or trimmed with lace, worn about the neck by men especially in the 17th century.

3. Medicine/Medical. a bandage made by folding a triangular piece of material into a band, used temporarily for a fracture or wound.

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cravat British  

/ krəˈvæt /

noun

1. a scarf of silk or fine wool, worn round the neck, esp by men

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Etymology

Origin of cravat

1650–60; < French cravate neckcloth, literally, Croat (< German Krabate < Serbo-Croatian hr̀vāt ); so called because worn by Croatian mercenaries in the French army

Explanation

A cravat is an old-fashioned, scarf-like necktie. If you come across some 18th-century portraits of wealthy men, you'll definitely see a few cravats. You can think of the cravat as the ancestor of the tie that's often worn with a formal suit today. A cravat is basically a short scarf worn around the neck and tucked into the collar of a shirt. The word cravat comes from the French Cravate, "Croat" or "Croatian." And it was Croatian soldiers who first started the cravat craze in France during the 1630s. Croatia still observes a national Cravat Day every year on October 18th.

Example Sentences

Cravat caveat: A defendant should discuss proper courtroom attire with his legal team, which might decide that the tieless look will give him an is-he-or-isn’t-he-on-suicide-watch? mystique that may appeal to the jury’s sympathies.

From Slate • Jan. 22, 2014

Challedon had won eight out of 14 starts this year; Kayak, seven out of nine; and Cravat had finished in the money in eleven out of 15 races.

From Time Magazine Archive

After the first furlong Cravat was out of the running: it was Challedon and Kayak.

From Time Magazine Archive

Runner-up was Cravat, a former stablemate of Dauber's in the Whitney string, who had been 20 lengths behind the leaders at the half-mile post, had made an equally astonishing stretch finish.

From Time Magazine Archive

Alexander the Great was acted by a Fellow in a Paper Cravat.

From The Spectator, Volume 1 Eighteenth-Century Periodical Essays by Addison, Joseph