Stoles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An ornamented scarf or garment draped over the shoulders typically worn by clergy during religious services
2. A long, often decorative piece of clothing that is used in ceremonial contexts, signifying authority or status
3. A lightweight, often embroidered wrap that can signify different roles or occasions, commonly associated with formal attire

Etymology: "Stoles" is the plural of "stole," and the singular has a long, sturdy pedigree. Its ancestor in ancient Greek, "stolḗ," meant simply "garment" or "equipment," a sense that fits a word closely related to "stall," a verb meaning to equip or array. The Romans borrowed it as "stola," the long, loose dress worn by Roman married women, so the original idea was clothing in general rather than any particular ornament. The word reached English through Old English as "stole," and it kept its sense of a long strip of cloth. Its use in the church is the most familiar: the priest's stole hangs around the neck, sitting alongside the white alb and the maniple on the left sleeve, which together make up the vestments of the Mass. Over the centuries the classical garment and the liturgical one became separate things, though they share the same root.

Synonyms: shawls, wraps, scarves, sashes, foulards