Pelisses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of long, often fur-lined cloak or coat typically worn in colder climates, offering warmth and protection from the elements
2. An outer garment characterized by its length and material, commonly fur or heavy fabric, designed for chilly weather
3. A historical piece of clothing that serves as a warm overcoat, frequently associated with fashionable styles during specific periods

Etymology: "Pelisses" is the plural of "pelisse," an outer garment whose name reaches back to the Latin word for skin. Latin "pellis" meant skin or hide, and the Late Latin "pellicia" was a garment made of animal skins, the sense that gave the word its fur-lined character. The term passed into French as "pelisse," and English borrowed it from there. The word's history of meaning runs in a neat circle. Its earliest sense was literal: a garment cut from pelts, the way a coat of sheepskin or fox fur would be. Over time the garment kept its name even as the material shifted toward heavy fabrics, so the word now describes a long, warm outer layer whether or not any hide is involved. "Pilch," a doublet of the same word, preserves an older English form of the same idea, showing how the Latin root produced two separate English words by different routes.