praetexta
Americannoun
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(in ancient Rome) a white toga with a broad purple border, worn by priests and magistrates as an official costume, and by certain other Romans as ceremonial dress.
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a similar garment worn by a boy until he assumed the toga virilis, or by a girl until she married.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of praetexta
1595–1605; < Latin, short for toga praetexta literally, bordered toga. See pretext
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.
Why are we not all clad in the praetexta?
From The Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, Volume 4 by Cicero, Marcus Tullius
If, finally, you see him lamenting, complaining, unhappy, call him a slave, though he wears a praetexta.
From A Selection from the Discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion by Epictetus
Each wore a wreath of corn, a white fillet and the praetexta.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7 "Arundel, Thomas" to "Athens" by Various
Its only interest is as the single extant specimen of the fabula praetexta, or drama with a Roman subject and characters.
From Latin Literature by Mackail, J. W. (John William)
Pacuvius also wrote one praetexta, Paulus, doubtless on L. Aemilius Paulus, the victor of Pydna.
From The Student's Companion to Latin Authors by Middleton, George
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.
