cassock
UK[ˈkæsək]US[ˈkæsək]
n
a long, close-fitting garment worn by members of the clergy or by others assisting in church services.
Etymology
the word 'cassock' entered english in the mid-16th century from the french word 'casaque', meaning a long coat or tunic. the french term itself was likely borrowed from the italian 'casacca' or the turkish 'kazak', which referred to a type of cossack horseman or their coat. the turkish word traces back to the ethnonym 'qazaq', meaning 'free man' or 'adventurer'. the semantic journey thus moved from a term for a nomadic people, to their distinctive long coat, and finally to the specific ecclesiastical vestment, illustrating a shift from a secular, military garment to a formal item of clerical dress.
Analysis
this word is a loanword adopted as a single unit into english. it does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern english spelling.
Examples
the priest donned his black cassock before the evening service.
the altar servers wore red cassocks and white surplices.
the simple woolen cassock is the traditional everyday garment of a cleric.