clerical collar

American  

noun

1. a stiff, narrow, bandlike white collar fastened at the back of the neck, worn by certain clerics.

---

clerical collar British  

noun

1. Informal name: dog collar.  a stiff white collar with no opening at the front that buttons at the back of the neck; the distinctive mark of the clergy in certain Churches

---

Etymology

Origin of clerical collar

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

In his Halloween paso doble showcase, he wore a clerical collar and forewent grease paint or creepy contacts, relying on wide-eyed expressions and a low-slung layer of fake fog to hide his relatively clumsy footwork.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025

“I was wearing my clerical collar, a big old cross necklace, you know, basically everything that you can to identify yourself as not exactly a rioter.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 11, 2025

The pastor, a 73-year-old Michigan native and non-denominational evangelical, does not wear a clerical collar and calls himself a Christian activist.

From Washington Times • Nov. 22, 2023

When he traveled abroad, he cut a handsome figure in his well-tailored gray suit over a magenta shirt with a white clerical collar.

From New York Times • Dec. 26, 2021

The door opens and a Negro man stands there looking at me, his white clerical collar gleaming.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett