Obs. Forms: 3–4 uestiment, 4–6 vestyment (5 -mente), 4–7, 9 vestiment (5 Sc. westiment); also pl. 3 -menz, 4 -mens, 4–5 mentz. [a. OF. vestiment (= Pr. vestimen, Sp. and It. vestimento, Pg. vestimenta), or ad. L. vestīmentum clothes, a garment, etc., f. vestīre to clothe, VEST v. Cf. VESTMENT sb.]
1. A vestment, esp. one worn by an ecclesiastic.
Common from c. 1330 to c. 1600, freq. in pl.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 418. Ne wite ȝe nout in oure huse of oðer monnes þinges…, ne nout ne underuo ȝe þe chirche uestimenz.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 133. Þo seint thomas hadde is masse i-songue his chesible he gan of weue, Alle is oþur uestimenz on him he let bi-leue.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 9337. Curteynes, or ouþer vestyment, Or any oþer vesselement Þat falleþ to holy cherches seruyse.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), V. 87. He ordeyned þat mynystres of holy cherche schulde nouȝt were holy vestymentis in þe comyn use of every day.
c. 1400. Plowman’s Tale, in Pol. Poems (Rolls), I. 332. Now been pristes pokes so wide, That men must enlarge the vestiment.
c. 1450. Merlin, vi. 107. And ther-with thei risen vp, and toke hym by-twene their armes, and ledde hym to the vestymentz rioall.
1523. [Coverdale], Old God & New (1534), L j. This day the preest hath a redde vestiment…, and when he syngeth masse of requiem, he hath on a blacke vestiment.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utopia, II. (1895), 287. Thies priestes,… whiles the armes be fighting together,… knele vpon their knees in their hallowed vestimentes.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, Wks. (Grosart), III. 108. Hee creditted Newgate with the same metamorphized costly vestiment.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. § 5. 9. Socrates answereth: you haue reason, and it becomes you well, beeing a man so trimme in your vestiments.
1661. Morgan, Sph. Gentry, II. ii. 27. The High Priests Vestiments was linnen Breeches next his flesh.
1850. Browning, Christmas Eve, II. 74. Mine’s the same right with your poorest and sickliest, Supposing I don the marriage-vestiment [rhyme Testament].
Comb. 1479–81. Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905), 101. The Vestyment makere.
c. 1515. Cocke Lorell’s B., 10. Stacyoners, vestyment sewers, and ymagers.
transf. and fig. 1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. xii. 29. All that day she outwore in wandering,… Till that againe the second euening Her couered with her sable vestiment.
1620. E. Blount, Horæ Subs., 30. Howsoeuer a man may appeare to himselfe more complete, and full, in the vestiments of Vertue.
1655. T. Vaughan, Euphrates, 91. With the fire he attracts the Air which is the vestiment or body of the fire.
1656. Heylin, Surv. France, 51. There we beheld nature in her richest vestiments.
2. collect. Clothing, garb, vesture. rare.
1637. G. Daniel, Genius of Isle, 25. The Naiades in Azure vestiment, With Hairs vnbound, the willing Sand shall print.
