dalmatic

The bishop wears a dalmatic during the solemn ceremony.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A liturgical vestment: A "dalmatic" is a wide-sleeved, often richly decorated garment worn by deacons in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and some other Christian churches during the celebration of the Eucharist.
   • A royal or ceremonial robe: Historically, it also refers to a similar garment worn by monarchs, especially during coronation ceremonies.

Usage Examples

• Liturgical context:
  • The deacon put on the dalmatic before the solemn mass. (The deacon wore this special vestment for the church service.)
• Historical or ceremonial context:
  • The king wore a crimson dalmatic during his coronation. (The monarch wore a ceremonial robe of this style for the crowning ceremony.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be vested in a dalmatic": to be dressed in this specific liturgical garment.

  • The newly ordained deacon was vested in a dalmatic for the first time. (He was officially clothed in the vestment as part of his ordination.)

• "the dalmatic of the bishop": In some traditions, bishops also wear a dalmatic under the chasuble, though it is primarily associated with deacons.

  • The bishop's dalmatic was embroidered with gold thread. (The bishop's garment was decorated with gold.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dalmatic (adj): relating to the region of Dalmatia (from which the garment's name likely originates).
  • The dalmatic style of vestment is named after the region of Dalmatia. (The garment's name comes from this historical area.)

Synonyms

• Vestment: a general term for any ceremonial garment worn by clergy.
• Tunicle: a similar, often simpler, garment worn by subdeacons in some traditions.

Related Idioms

• "to wear the dalmatic": to serve as a deacon in a formal church ceremony.
  • He wore the dalmatic for the first time at Easter. (He served as a deacon for that important service.)