Alb

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ælb/

Definitions

1. A white liturgical vestment worn by clergy and servers during Christian religious ceremonies
2. A ceremonial white garment worn by priests and altar attendants during Christian worship, representing both purity and the sacredness of the service
3. A white garment used in Christian liturgical ceremonies that symbolizes purity and is worn by clergy as a part of the worship attire

Etymology: The garment's name is simply the Latin word for "white." Late Old English took "albe" from Latin "alba," the feminine form of "albus" ("white"), and the phrase it came from was "tunica alba," meaning "white tunic." The vestment was named for its colour, so the word preserves a description of the robe itself rather than a rank or a ritual. The word then took a second and later route into English. Middle English "aube" and "awbe" show a more French-shaped form, and Old French "aube" and Medieval Latin "alba" reinforced the original borrowing, so English ended up with several spellings, including "abbe," that all trace back to the same Latin adjective. Modern "alb" keeps the shortest of these forms.

Synonyms: robe, garment, vestment