Forms: α. 6–7 cassacke, 7 cassack, (cass-, casaque); β. 6 cassoke, cassocke, (8–9 cassoc), 6– cassock. [a. F. casaque ‘a cassocke, mandilion, long coat,’ 16th c. in Littré, (corresp. to Sp. and Pg. casaca ‘a souldiers cassocke, a frock, a horsemans coat,’ Minsheu, It. casacca ‘a frocke, a horse-mans cote, a long cote; also a habitation or dwelling’ Florio). The military use is the original; the ecclesiastical use appears to have arisen in English, in the 17th century.
If the It. is the original, and casacca ‘cassock’ the same word as casacca ‘dwelling’ (see above), then it is a deriv. of casa house (as if ‘a garment that covers like a house’: cf. CASULE, CHASUBLE); but the identification is doubtful. The Dict. de Trevoux suggests that casaque is a variant of Cosaque Cossack, from whom the military cassock might take its name. Lagarde (Götting. Gelehrte Anzeiger, 15 April 1887, 238) maintains that F. casaque is a back-formation from casaquin (by incorrectly viewing the latter as a dimin. form), and that casaquin, It. casacchino, was a corruption of Arab. kazāγand, as Pers. kazhāγand, a padded jerkin, or acton, f. kaȝh = kaj raw silk, silk floss + āγand stuffed. The word kasagân actually occurs in MHG. as ‘riding-cloak’ (‘reitrock’ Schade), and gasygan in OF. as ‘padded jerkin or vest’ (Godef.), but the relation of these to casaquin and casaque has yet to be settled.]
† 1. A cloak or long coat worn by some soldiers in 16–17th c.; also that of a horseman or rider in the 17th c. (‘A name given to the cloaks worn by musketeers and gardes du corps,’ Littré.) Obs.
1574. Lanc. Lieutenancy, II. (1859), 137. Also a Cassocke of the same motley.
1580. Baret, Alv., C 164. A cassocke: also a souldiours cloke, sagum.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., II. v. He will neuer come within … the sight of a cassock, or a musket-rest againe. [Cf. F. rendre le casaque.]
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, IV. iii. 189. So that the *muster file, rotten and sound, vppon my life amounts not to fifteene thousand pole, halfe of the which, dare not shake the snow from off their Cassockes, least they shake themselues to peeces.
1609. Tourneur, Fun. Poeme, Wks. 1878, I. 199. Brave Vere was by his scarlet cassock known.
1638. Shirley, Mart. Soldier, II. 1, in Bullen, O. Pl., I. 190. A Soldado Cassacke of Scarlet.
1667. E. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. III. iv. (1743), 173. Upon a Cloak, Coat, or Riding Cassock.
1699. Ludlow, Mem. (1771), 384. Monk’s army was … thought to deserve the fool’s coat rather than the soldier’s casaque.
[1826. Scott, Woodst., III. xi. 318. The coarse frieze-cassock of the private soldier.]
† 2. A kind of long loose coat or gown. (Fairholt.) Originally applied to garments worn by both sexes.
a. as worn by women. (App. not after 1600.)
c. 1550. C. Barnsley, Pride & Abuse of Women, 119. A caped cassock much like a players gown.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D. (Arb.), 35. We shall go in our frenche hoodes euery day, In our silke cassocks fresh and gay.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie (Arb.), 290. A ridiculous thing to see a Lady in her milke-house with a veluet gowne, and at a bridall in her cassock of mockado.
1590. Greene, Poems (1600), 112. Her taffata cassock might you see Tucked up aboue her knee.
b. as worn by men: mentioned as worn by rustics, shepherds, sailors; also by usurers, poor scholars, etc.
1590. Greene, Neuer too late (1600), 93. Corydon in his gray cassocke and Manalcas … in his shepheardes cloake.
1598. Barnfield, Conscience & Covet., 12. Clad in a Cassock, lyke a Vsurer.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXXIV. vi. II. 491. [The statue] of Romulus is without any coat or cassocke at all [est sine tunica]. Ibid. (1603), Const. & Canons Eccl., § 74. Persons ecclesiastical may use any comely, and scholar-like apparel, provided that it be not cut or pinkt; and that in publick they go not in their doublet and hose, without coats or cassocks.
1612. Dekker, If not good Pl., Wks. 1873, III. 276. Greater Schollers languish in beggery: And in thin thred-bare cassacks weare out their age.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, VI. 231. Two or three old Iron things was bound vp in a Sailers canuase Cassocke.
1628. Wither, Brit. Rememb., IV. 1765. Those many silken-Doctors, who did here In shining satten Cassocks late appeare.
[1825. Scott, Talism., xxiii. The Cassock of chamois which he wore under his armour.]
3. A garment worn by clergymen.
a. A long close-fitting frock or tunic worn by Anglican clergymen, originally along with and under the gown; but, in recent times, also under the shortened surplice, and sometimes by ‘High-Church’ clergymen, like the soutane of Roman Catholic priests, apart from these vestments, as a kind of ecclesiastical garb. Also, sometimes worn by vergers, choristers, and others engaged in ecclesiastical functions. See quots.
In this sense, which appears to date from the Restoration, it seems to be the continuation of the scholar’s cassock, in sense 2; it had probably some reference to the canon of 60 years before, requiring clergymen not to appear in public ‘without coats or cassocks’ (see sense 2).
1663. Killigrew, Parson’s Wedding (Fairh.). He was so poor and despicable, he could not avow his calling for want of a cassock.
1666. Pepys, Diary, 27 Sept. I … to speak for a cloak and cassock for my brother … and I will have him in a canonical dress.
1708. Swift, Baucis & Philemon, 121. His waistcoat to a cassoc grew And both assum’d a sable hue.
1710–20. C. Wheatley, On Bk. Com. Prayer (1720), 110. Made fit and close to the Body like a Cassock.
1727. De Foe, Hist. Appar., iii. (1840), 24. If the Devil should put on the gown and Cassock, or the black cloak, or the Coat and the Cord.
1728. Pope, Dunc., II. 326. Gave him the cassock, surcingle, and vest.
1755. Johnson, Cassock, a close garment; now, generally, that which clergymen wear under their gowns.
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., III. 862. He knew no better than his cassock which.
1849. Rock, Ch. of Fathers, II. vi. § 9. The old English cassock differed in its shape very little, if anything, from the same kind of robe still worn by the Catholic priesthood.
1854. Hook, Church Direct., Cassock … the under dress of all orders of the clergy: it resembles a long coat, with a single upright collar.
1866. Direct. Angl. (ed. 3), 352. Cassock, the garment worn by ecclesiastics under their official vestments: usually black, and for Bishops purple.
1866. C. Walker, Ritual, Reason Why, 35. The Cassock is a long coat buttoning over the breast, and reaching to the feet. It is confined at the waist by a broad sash called the cincture. The collar is made to fasten right round the throat.
1870. Disraeli, Lothair, v. 16. One or two young curates in cassocks.
b. Used to render F. soutane, L. subtaneum, the ‘frock’ of a Roman Catholic ecclesiastic.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), III. 136. A tall man dressed in a blue cassock came in. He was an ecclesiastical missionary of the island.
1824. Heber, Jrnl. (1828), I. iii. 76. A tall stout ecclesiastic … with a long black cassoc.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, vi. 69. A short stout man of about fifty, dressed in cassock, bands, and cocked hat.
c. A short, light, double-breasted coat or jacket, usually of black silk, varying in length, but generally reaching down to the thighs, worn under the Geneva gown by presbyterian and other ministers.
1864. Aberdeen Jrnl., 14 Dec., 1/3. The Rev. James Brown … was presented by the ladies of his Congregation with an elegant Pulpit-Gown and Cassock.
4. a. As a mark of the clerical office, esp. that of a clergyman of the Church of England.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., III. 232. And quit the cassock for the canting coat.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., VI. VI. 124. During the war, he laid aside the cassoc.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 217. The scarf and cassock could hardly appear there without calling forth sneers and malicious whispers.
b. A wearer of a cassock; esp. a clergyman.
1628. Bp. Earle, Microcosm. (Fairholt). A vulgar-spirited man … one that thinks the gravest cassock the best scholar.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Rich. II., cccxliii. But the Gray Cassock makes a double noyse.
1859. Thackeray, Virgin., v. [He] had a suspicion of all cassocks, and said he would never have any controversy with a clergyman but upon backgammon.
5. attrib.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1317/1. Yeomen … apparelled in cassocke coats, and venetian hose of crimson veluet.
