Forms: 4 amyse, 6 amis(e, ames, amyss(e, amys(e, amias, ammess, amyce, 6– amice. [Earlier amyt, AMIT(E, a. OFr. amit:—L. amict-us. The form amyse, amice, is not satisfactorily accounted for; the s may be due to an early confusion of amyte with the next word (OFr. aumusse); to a med.L. amicia (see Ducange) ? for amitia, f. OFr. amit; or to one of the OFr. forms (Burguy has ‘amit, amict, amis,’ Littré ‘amist’). Wyclif translates amictus once amyt, once amys, but has also amyt for capitium ‘hood,’ where the sense seems to be aumusse, AMICE2, showing already a confusion between the two words. In Caxton, and in 18th-c. writers, we find AMICT.]
† 1. gen. A cloth for wrapping round, a scarf, handkerchief, or other loose wrap. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. xxii. 17. As an amyse, so he shal vnderreren thee [1388 As a cloth so he shal reise thee; Vulg. Quasi amictum sic sublevabit te].
2. Eccl. A square of white linen (called also heafod-lín and kerchief), folded diagonally, worn by celebrant priests, formerly on the head, but now, by priests of the Church of Rome, about the neck and shoulders.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 1557, 641/2. He would haue the peple pull the priest from the aulter, and ye amis from his head. Ibid., 390/1. What signifyeth the albe, the ames, and stole, and so forth.
1533. Tindale, Answ. More, Wks. III. 73. The amice on the head is the kerchief that Christ was blindfolded with … now it may well signify that he that putteth it on is blinded, and hath professed to lead us after him in darkness.
1536. Reg. Riches, in Antiq. Sarisb., 197. Divers Stoles and Fannons, some wanting an Ammess.
1539. Bk. Cerem., in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. App. cix. 285. First he putteth on the anyss, which as touching the mystery, signifieth the vail … And therfore he putteth that upon his head first.
1552–3. Inv. Ch. Goods Staff., 12. lij albes, and ij ameses. Ibid., 48. One vestement of grene lynen clothe, with albe and amysse.
1558. Bp. Watson, Sev. Sacram., xiii. 76. As the Jewes dyd fyrst couer Chrystes face … so hath the Priest in memorye of that, an Amise put vpon his head.
a. 1564. Becon, Displ. Pop. Mass (1844), 259. Ye first put on upon your head an head-piece, called an amice, to keep your brains in temper, as I think.
1570. B. Googe, Pop. Kingd. (1880), 9 b. And then his amias and his albe.
1815. Scott, Ld. Isles, II. xxiii. His wither’d cheek and amice white.
1847. Maskell, Mon. Rit. Eccl. Angl., III. 25. For its ancient purpose it was a covering for the head; a square piece of linen embroidered … upon one edge … But at that time … as now by the clergy of the church of Rome, the amice was only placed for an instant upon the top of the head, and then lowered upon the shoulders, to be left there, and adjusted round the neck. So that the use of it became merely symbolical.
1856. J. H. Newman, Callista, 262. The neck was bare, the amice being as yet unknown.
† 3. Used to render the Roman toga. Obs.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXXIV. vii. 858 k. Shall we put on our rich amyces and copes [prætextati]?
4. Used loosely of other garments.
1641. Milton, Animadv. (1851), 244. We have heard of Aaron and his linnen Amice, but those dayes are past.
1727. Pope, Dunciad, IV. 549. On some a priest [i.e., the cook], succinct in amice white, Attends: all flesh is nothing in his sight.
