Tallithes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Prayer shawls worn during Jewish worship services ; pieces of cloth with fringed corners serving as religious garments ; ritual items used for covering the shoulders or head in synagogue prayer
2. Ceremonial garments consisting of rectangular fabric with special fringed edges ; textiles adopted in Jewish custom for prayer observance ; shawls draped over shoulders or heads for religious devotion
3. Traditional fabrics marked by fringes on the borders and worn in Jewish prayer practices ; sacred cloths used as part of religious attire ; rectangular wraps meant for spiritual observance and respect

Etymology: "Tallithes" is the plural of "tallith", the fringed prayer shawl worn by Jewish men during morning worship. The singular form comes from Hebrew "ṭallīṯ", meaning cloak or mantle, and it reached English through that Hebrew source, which is why the plural follows the Greek-style ending "-es" rather than the English "-s".