Forms: α. 4 uestement, 4–6 westement(e, 4–6 vestement (6 festement). β. 5–6 westment, 5 vestmente, 5– vestment (7 vest’ment). [a. AF. and OF. vestement (mod.F. vêtement), ad. L. vestīmentum: see VESTIMENT.]
1. A garment or article of clothing, esp. one of the nature of a robe or gown; freq. an outer garment of this kind worn by a king or official either ordinarily or upon some ceremonial occasion. Also collect., clothing, dress, vesture.
Now somewhat rare or rhet.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3701. Þe odor o þi uestement It smelles als o piement.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqr.’s T., 51. This Kambynskan … In riall vestement syt on hys deys.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, IV. v. (1883), 176. He is bounden to deffende and kepe them that make his vestementis & couertours necessarye vnto his body. Ibid. (1489), Faytes of A., IV. xvii. 280. The scripture saith that the vestement of Ih[es]u Crist dide seme to his apostles white as snowe.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 374. The heraulds with thair awfull westmentis.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., II. i. 94. Doe their gay vestments his affections baite?
1662. J. Davies, trans. Olearius’ Voy. Ambass., 288. The five principal Persons of the Retinue had each of them a satin Vestment, and another of Taffata.
1718. Prior, Solomon, I. 99. A fairer Red stands blushing in the Rose, Than that which on the Bridegroom’s Vestment flows.
1764. Harmer, Observ., vi. § 23. 280. Presents of vestments … are frequently made in these countries to the great and those that are in public stations.
1771. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint., IV. 2. The slightness of their vestment and the lankness of their hair.
1790. Cowper, Odyss., VI. 313. Her charge Of folded vestments neat the Princess placed Within the royal wain.
1826. Lamb, Elia, II. Wedding. She stood at the altar in vestments white and candid as her thoughts.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. xxix. 381. Their clothes saturated with the freezing water of the floes, these iron men … did not strip themselves naked … and hang up their vestments in the air to dry.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 497. Remembering to warn [the patient] against heated rooms,… stewing in bed, and any possible irritation by vestments.
2. A garment worn by a priest or ecclesiastic on the occasion of some service or ceremony; a priestly robe. † In early use also collect., a set of these.
13[?]. K. Alis., 1560 (Laud MS.). Þe Bisshop … dude hym on a vestement, And made … To jubiter sacrifise.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., V. 1898. Hee [a priest of Jupiter] tuggit wiþe his teythe in taggis His westment rewyn al in raggis.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), III. 1183. To my awter I wyll me dresse; On xall my westment and myn aray.
1560. Bible (Genev.), 2 Kings x. 22. Bring forthe vestements for all the seruants of Baal. And he broght them out vestements.
1598. J. Howson, Serm. 21 May, 35. Thimelicus, a dauncer, had bought by chaunce some holy vestement, and abused it publickly in the open theater.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xxxvi. 228. The High Priests … put on the holy vestments, and enquired of the Lord [etc.].
1737. Whiston, trans. Josephus, Antiq., III. vii. § 2. Over this he [the priest] wore a linen vestment, made of fine flax doubled. Ibid. This vestment reaches down to the feet, and sits close to the body.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 659. The surplice, a vestment of the Pagan Priests, introduced into churches.
1843. Prescott, Mexico, VI. v. (1864), 371. A few priests, clad in their usual wild and blood stained vestments, were to be seen.
1868. Marriott, Vest. Chr., Introd. p. v. The attempt … to trace out in detail a correspondence between the ‘eight vestments’ of the Jewish high-priest, and those of Christian ministry.
b. An article of attire worn by the clergy of various branches of the Christian church, or by certain of their assistants, during divine service or on some special occasion; spec. one or other of those worn by the priest or priests at the celebration of the Eucharist; esp. the chasuble.
In early use perh. sometimes (like med.L. vestimentum) employed in the collective sense of ‘a set of vestments.’
α. 1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 4675. Ȝyf prest or clerk lene vestement Þat halwed ys þurgh sacrament.
1340. Ayenb., 41. Þe crouchen, þe calices, þe creyme, þe corporeaus, þe yblissede uestemens.
c. 1400. Plowman’s Tale, xxix., in Pol. Poems (Rolls), I. 311. They halow no thing but for hire, Church, ne font, ne vestement.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 140. Thys was þe fyrst man þat euer song masse yn vestementys, as prestes now doþe.
1493–4. Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905), 199. Payd to mastyr parson for halowyng of the westementes, xij d.
1549. Bk. Com. Prayer, Holy Commun. The Priest … shall put upon hym … a white Albe plain, with a vestement or Cope.
1566. in Peacock, Eng. Ch. Furniture (1866), 35. Item iij vestements—sold to Christopher Baudwine in anno 1565 who hathe put them to prophane vse.
β. c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 509/1. Vestment…, vestimentum.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon., vii. (1885), 125. Often tymes he [the king] woll bie riche hangynges and other apparell for his howses; vessaill, vestmentes, and oþer ornamentes for his chapell.
1509. Will in Archaeologia, LXVI. 312. A payre of Vestmentes of Whit clothe of gold of Tissue.
1531. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), VI. 23. Item, I will that a vestment be maide … of my damaske gowne.
1580. Parsons, in Relig. Pamphlets (1898), 166. For this Sacrifice was Preistes apparell made: Vestments, Sensors, Frankensence, and the lyke.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, XI. xiv. In costly vestments sacred William dight, With fear and trembling to the altar went.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 82. I shall not here spend time in describing their way of celebrating Mass,… nor shall I speak of their Sacerdotal Vestments.
1782. in J. H. Harting, Hist. Sardin. Chapel (1905), 25. Priest’s vestment, two dalmatics to correspond, with maniples and stoles [etc.].
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, xvi. Your years, old man, and those sacred vestments protect you.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxv. Another churchman in his vestments bore a holy-water sprinkler.
1867. Trollope, Chron. Barset, II. xlix. 59. He had kept his surplice in his own room, and had gone down in his vestment.
1881. A. O’Shaughnessy, Christ will Return, Songs of Worker, 10. And where, ’mid all the glory Of vestments rich, are Joseph’s working coat And Mary’s rags?
3. transf. and fig. Something that covers as a garment; a covering.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 118/2. Ryght so the majeste of god hydde the lyght of hys dyuynyte by a carnal vestement whyche he toke of our nature humayne.
1620. Quarles, Jonah, 1300. Their nakednesse with sackcloth let them hide, And mue the vest’ments of their silken pride.
1660. Sharrock, Vegetables, 40. The verdure … that is generally the beauteous vestment of all vegetables.
1669. W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 146. This hidden spirit … putting on new shapes according to the mineral vestment wherewith he is cloathed.
1753. Hogarth, Anal. Beauty, xi. 84. Green,… which colour nature hath chosen for the vestment of the earth.
1836. Emerson, Nature, Lang., Wks. (Bohn), II. 152. A material image … arises in his mind, contemporaneous with every thought, which furnishes the vestment of the thought.
1842. W. A. Butler, Serm., Ser. I. x. (1849), 172. His perpetuated humanity is, then, in heaven,… the vestment of the divine priesthood.
4. Comb. in vestment-maker.
Freq. in 15th- and early 16th-c. accounts.
1405. Close Roll, 6 Hen. IV., b. Johannes Est, vestment makere.
1477–9. Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905), 80. Item, paid to a vestment-maker for the mendyng of the Blak Copes.
1530. Palsgr., 284/2. Vestmentmaker, chasublier.
1537–8. Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905), 378. Paid to a vestment maker for xxvij dayes labour.
