vesture

[ves-cher]

noun

1. Law.

   1. everything growing on and covering the land, with the exception of trees.

   2. any such covering, as grass or wheat.

2. Archaic.

   1. clothing; garments.

   2. something that covers like a garment; covering.

verb (used with object)

vestured, vesturing 

1. Archaic.,  to clothe or cover.

vesture

/ ˈvɛstʃə /

noun

1. archaic,  a garment or something that seems like a garment

   a vesture of cloud

2. law

   1. everything except trees that grows on the land

   2. a product of the land, such as grass, wheat, etc

verb

1. archaic,  (tr) to clothe

Other Word Forms

• vestural adjective
• nonvesture noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vesture¹

1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French; Old French vesteure < Vulgar Latin *vestītūra, equivalent to Latin vestīt ( us ), past participle of vestīre ( vest ) + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of vesture¹

C14: from Old French, from vestir, from Latin vestīre, from vestis clothing

Example Sentences

Benedict, in contrast, wore the vesture like a uniform, emphasizing his notion of the papacy not as a glamorous appointment but as the humble, humbling job of leading the Catholic Church.

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Against that backdrop, the shameless price-gouging policy of Shrekli’s latest vesture, Turing, starts to make a sick sort of market sense.

Read more on The Guardian

Modern thought leaders are like secular clergy, convening gatherings and delivering sermons that are really just moral pep-talks dressed up in TED-style vesture.

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The music-master was a young man, thin and clean, whose bright silk waistcoats belied the gravity of the rest of his vesture, which was black and brown.

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The Vestal Virgins were further distinguished by a vesture of pure white linen, with a purple border and a wide purple mantle.

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Related Words

• attire 
• garb 
• regalia 
• sportswear 
• wardrobe