Amice

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A ceremonial garment typically draped over the shoulders and neck of religious leaders during services
2. An ecclesiastical piece designed for both warmth and dignity, often used in liturgical contexts
3. A type of garment worn over the shoulders, primarily by clergy, that serves both a ceremonial function and provides warmth during religious observances

Etymology: The amice is a linen cloth worn by Catholic and some Anglican clergy at the start of Mass, draped over the shoulders and neck beneath the alb. Its name comes from Middle English "amit," borrowed from Old French "emit," and ultimately from Latin "amictus," meaning a covering or wrap. That Latin noun is the past participle of "amicire," "to wrap around," built from "am-," an old form of "ambi-" meaning "around," and "jacere," "to throw." So the word is literally a thing thrown around the body. The Latin verb is the same root that gave English "amice" as a garment term, and the Old French form shows the word passing through the medieval church's vocabulary of vestments before reaching English. Other European languages keep the same shape: French "amict," Italian "amitto," and Portuguese "amicto" all descend from that Latin source.

Synonyms: cloak, mantle, cape, shawl, wrap

Antonyms: exposure, uncovering, reveal, disclosure, bare