Obs. exc. dial. Forms: α. 4 kevercher, 4– kercher, (5 -ere, -yer, 6 -eor, karcher, kircher); β. 6 courcher. [ME. curcher, kercher, by syncope from earlier *cover-, kevercher a. OF. couvre-, chevrechier (Godef., Compl.), erroneous forms of couvrechief, etc.] = KERCHIEF.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 65. Ȝif þei ȝeuen benefis to clerkis … for palfreis or keuercheris … it is foul symonye.
c. 1450. Cov. Myst., v. (Shaks. Soc.), 54. With this Kerchere I kure thi face.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 433 b/1. Shertes, shetys and kerchyers.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. xxix. 84. Oure faces wrapped in kerchers, so that we coude nat be knowen.
1571. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), 353. A worcett kirtle, a courcher, a raile.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 12. I having … usid mi self to a hat and a karcher, culd not abide ani while to be barehed.
1649. Bulwer, Pathomyot., II. i. 88. This Muscle … Laurentius compares to a Maids Coife or Kercher.
1718. Bp. Hutchinson, Witchcraft, 132. She … pulled off her Kercher.
1780. J. T. Dillon, Trav. Spain, 178. The women tie a kercher round their heads.
Hence Kerchered a., covered with a kercher.
1610. G. Fletcher, Christ’s Vict., I. xii. Pale Sicknes, with his kercher’d head up wound.
