Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
neckcloth

neckcloth

9.9
A decorative piece of cloth tied around the neck, often white and worn at formal events
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : cravat
  • "Why, of course I have," Aunt Bramwell said, noticing that his neckcloth had grown rather annoyingly tight at the mention of his fiancée's name.

Examples

  • Stephen glanced at her in surprise as he picked up his neckcloth.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • In the 19th century, gentlemen often wore a neckcloth to complete their formal attire.

  • His neckcloth was impeccably tied, reflecting the fashion standards of the era.

  • During the party, he adjusted his neckcloth to make sure it looked neat and stylish.

Synonyms

stock
vsneckcloth
  • Specialized
21 7.9

The part you hold on a gun, or the cloth worn around the neck

is the narrow historical ornamental white neck covering rather than the tool sense
ascot
vsneckcloth
9 7.7

A wide necktie with square ends often fastened with a decorative pin

is a traditional eighteenth and nineteenth century ornamental neck covering not a wide-ended tie
cravat
vsneckcloth
  • Formal
7 7.9

A long thin piece of cloth worn around the neck and tied at the front to wear with smart clothes

is a specifically white ornamental neck covering worn in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
neckerchief
vsneckcloth
3 7.1

A small square of cloth worn around the neck for decoration or as part of a uniform

is a white ornamental neck covering from historical formal dress not a folded square

How Formal

cravat
  • Formal
7 7.9
ascot
9 7.7
neckcloth
  • Archaic
9.9
scarf
134 1.0
bandana
  • US
19 2.8

Surface Forms

neckcloth singular
neckcloths plural

Morphology

neckcloth = neck + cloth (transparent) = neck + cloth

The word is a straightforward compound of 'neck' and 'cloth', clearly indicating a piece of cloth worn around the neck.

Etymology

Neckcloth comes from the two English parts neck and cloth, literally a 'cloth' for the 'neck', and it named a decorative cloth worn around the neck in the 18th and 19th centuries. So, think of it as an old-fashioned 'tie' or 'scarf' that people wore to decorate or keep the neck neat.