surplice

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A loose-fitting, white ecclesiastical gown with wide sleeves, worn over a cassock.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A loose-fitting vestment of white linen, with broad and full sleeves, worn over the cassock by clergymen and choristers in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. It is worn at almost all offices except when replaced by the alb. In England it is also worn on certain days known as surplice-days by the fellows and students at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The surplice was originally a variety of the alb, differing from it by the greater fullness of the sleeves. Early representations of the alb show, however, that it was often nearly as full in shape as the surplice. The name surplice (superpelliceum) first occurs in the eleventh century, and was derived from the practice of wearing this vestment over a pelisse, or dress of fur—a circumstance which also explains its great breadth and fullness. In its more ancient form the surplice reached the feet, and it retained till recently nearly its full length. At present, in the Anglican Church, it reaches to the knee or lower, while in the Roman Catholic Church it is usually much shorter than this and is ornamented with lace or is made of lacelike lawn or other material. The short or Italian surplice, especially as worn by choristers, is called a cotta. See rochet.

Wiktionary

1. n. A liturgical vestment of the Christian Church. It has the form of tunic of white linen or cotton material, with wide or moderately wide sleeves, reaching to the hips or knees. It usually features lace decoration and may have embroidered bordures.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Eccl.) A white garment worn over another dress by the clergy of the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and certain other churches, in some of their ministrations.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a loose-fitting white ecclesiastical vestment with wide sleeves