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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Patron Saints of Nothing
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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.
Sorcinelli, aided by 11 seamstresses, displayed the green silk forming the basis of Leo's vestment for Rimini, rolling out the sumptuous fabric onto a long table.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
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
The Japan Wing’s permanent fixtures, too, make for elegant counterpoints as when an 18th-century Buddhist vestment is flanked by a pair of ancient wooden Buddhas.
From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2022
Back in the warehouse, Amatrudo is eager to use two darkly varnished vestment cabinets from All Saints to enhance his merchandise display.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 25, 2021
In stately shame each placed his golden vestment upon a bench.
From The Higher Court by Mary Stewart Daggett
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.
