pelisse · noun — A fur-lined robe or cloak, especially as part of a uniform.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
pelisse is pronounced /pəˈliːs/.
Why “pelisse” is a great word
A long cloak or robe, often fur-lined, worn historically by women or as part of a military uniform. From French *pelisse*, from Late Latin *pellicia* ('mantle'), from Latin *pellis* ('skin'). Unlike the generic 'cloak' or the enveloping, sleeveless 'mantle,' the pelisse is a tailored garment of sleeves or cape-like shoulders, defined by its opulent fur lining. It is the crimson swagger of a hussar on a frosty plain, the muffled sweep of silk and sable against a carriage step, the preserved specimen in a museum case where moths have eaten everything but the ermine trim—a portable refuge, stitching the warmth of animal skin to the silhouette of status and survival.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Borrowed from French pelisse, from Late Latin pellicia, from Latin pellis (“skin”). Doublet of pilch.
noun
- A fur-lined robe or cloak, especially as part of a uniform.
- A long cloak formerly worn by women, with a shoulder cape or hood, often lined or trimmed with fur.e.g.“The mother was crimson in countenance and pelisse, and her ample dimensions spoke years of peace and plenteousness.” — 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter I, in Romance and Reality. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, pages 256-257:
- An overgarment worn by children when outside.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- pelerine 66% match — A kind of short cape or covering for the shoulders, associated especially with medieval pilgrims (of any gender). vs pelisse →
- pilch 64% match — A gown or case of skin, or one trimmed or lined with fur. vs pelisse →
- houppelande 62% match — A robe or long tunic that is worn belted or with a fitted bodice often having full long sleeves and lined with fur. vs pelisse →
- delia 59% match — A garment worn by noblemen of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, similar to a coat or cloak, and worn over the żupan from the 16th until the early 18th century. vs pelisse →
- manteau 59% match — A cloak or gown, especially of a kind popular with women in the 17th and 18th centuries. vs pelisse →
- roquelaure 58% match — A lined and trimmed cloak that reaches to the knees, often with bright-coloured lining and trimmed with fur. vs pelisse →
- paltock 58% match — A type of short doublet or tunic with sleeves, sometimes worn beneath armour. vs pelisse →
- pelage 58% match — Fur, hair, or any other form of the coat of a mammal. vs pelisse →