vestment
Americannoun
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a garment, especially an outer garment.
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Chiefly Literary. vestments, attire; clothing.
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an official or ceremonial robe.
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Ecclesiastical.
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one of the garments worn by the clergy and their assistants, choristers, etc., during divine service and on other occasions.
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one of the garments worn by the celebrant, deacon, and subdeacon during the celebration of the Eucharist.
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something that clothes or covers like a garment.
a mountaintop with a vestment of clouds.
noun
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a garment or robe, esp one denoting office, authority, or rank
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any of various ceremonial garments worn by the clergy at religious services
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vestment
1250–1300; syncopated variant of Middle English vestiment < Medieval Latin vestīmentum priestly robe, Latin: garment, equivalent to vestī ( re ) to dress ( see vest) + -mentum -ment
Explanation
A vestment is a garment worn at special ceremonies by a clergy member. For example, a priest would wear a vestment in church, but out in the community, he would wear a shirt and pants. You know that a vest is a piece of clothing — a sleeveless shirt or sweater. Vest can also be a verb that describes putting on clothing, typically garments related to a religious ceremony. Both vest and vestment come from the Latin word vestimentum, meaning "clothing, clothes." Vestments include ankle-length robes called cassocks and strips of fabric that go around the neck, which are called stoles.
Vocabulary lists containing vestment
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Gene Wilder (1933-2016) Tribute List
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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.
On Saturday, Pope Leo XIV donned a green and white vestment created by the 51-year-old Sorcinelli while presiding over mass in the nearby port city of Rimini.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
The Vatican’s news site noted that Benedict was lying in state without a pallium, a vestment that would not be used for a “retired prelate.”
From Washington Post ● Jan. 2, 2023
He was clad in a miter, red vestments and simple black shoes, but not the silver staff with crucifix or pallium, the vestment symbolizing papal authority.
From New York Times ● Jan. 2, 2023
At LACMA, a stunning silver monstrance, sumptuous church vestment embroidery, boxes inlaid with bone and tortoiseshell, and carved wooden trays painted in a dense profusion of floral patterns draw the comparison.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2022
Did the altar want a new covering, or the curé a vestment?
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, vol 1-98, 1850-1899 None by Various (magazine) Harper
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.
