stole

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Ecclesiastical A long scarf, usually of embroidered silk or linen, worn over the left shoulder by deacons and over both shoulders by priests and bishops while officiating.
2. n. A woman's long scarf of cloth or fur worn about the shoulders.
3. n. A long robe or outer garment worn by matrons in ancient Rome.
4. v. Past tense of steal.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Preterit and obsolete past participle of steal.
2. n. A stola, or any garment of similar nature.
3. n. In the Roman Catholic, Oriental, and Anglican churches, an ecclesiastical vestment, consisting of a narrow strip of silk or other material, worn over the shoulders (by deacons over one shoulder) and hanging down in front to the knees or below them. It is widened and fringed at the ends, and usually has a cross embroidered on it at the middle and at each extremity. Stoles are worn of different colors, according to the ecclesiastical season. When celebrating the eucharist a priest wears his stole crossed upon the breast and secured by the girdle, at other times simply pendent from the shoulders. A bishop, on account of his pectoral cross, wears it pendent even when celebrating. A deacon wears it over the left shoulder and tied on the right side. In the Greek Church the stole has been worn since early times in two different forms, the deacon's (orarion) and the priest's (epitrachelion). Originally the stole was of linen, and probably was a napkin or cloth indicative of ministering at the altar and at agapæ. The pall or omophorion is of entirely distinct origin. See orarium.
4. n. A chorister's surplice or cotta: an occasional erroneous use.
5. n. In heraldry, usually, a bearing representing a scarf with straight and parallel sides, fringed at each end.
6. n. Same as stolon.
7. n. An obsolete form of stool.

Wiktionary

1. v. Simple past of steal.
2. n. An ecclesiastical garment.
3. n. A scarf-like garment, often made of fur.
4. n. botany A stolon.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. imp. of steal.
2. n. (Bot.) A stolon.
3. n. A long, loose garment reaching to the feet.
4. n. (Eccl.) A narrow band of silk or stuff, sometimes enriched with embroidery and jewels, worn on the left shoulder of deacons, and across both shoulders of bishops and priests, pendent on each side nearly to the ground. At Mass, it is worn crossed on the breast by priests. It is used in various sacred functions.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women