sb. Forms: 7 crabbat, crabat, cravett, crevet, cravatt, 7–8 crevat, 7– cravat, (8–9 gravat). [a. F. cravate (1652 in Hatzfeld), an application of the national name Cravate Croat, Croatian, a. G. Krabate (Flem. Krawaat, ad. Croato-Servian Khrvat, Hrvat, OSlav. Khrŭvat, of which Croat is another modification: cf. the following:
1703. Lond. Gaz., No. 3903/2. Monsieur de Guiche … Colonel-General of the Regiments of Horse called the Cravates.
1721. De Foe, Mem. Cavalier (1840), 119. We fell foul with two hundred Crabats.
1752. Hume, Ess., II. vii. I. 355. The troops are filled with Cravates and Tartars, Hussars and Cossacs.]
1. An article of dress worn round the neck, chiefly by men.
It came into vogue in France in the 17th c. in imitation of the linen scarf worn round their necks by the Croatian mercenaries. When first introduced it was of lace or linen, or of muslin edged with lace, and tied in a bow with long flowing ends, and much attention was bestowed upon it as an ornamental accessory. In this form it was originally also worn by women. More recently the name was given to a linen or silk handkerchief passed once (or twice) round the neck outside the shirt collar and tied with a bow in front; also to a long woollen ‘comforter’ wrapped round the neck to protect from cold out of doors.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Crabbat (Fr.) … is often used Substantively for a new fashioned Gorget which women wear [1674 (ed. 4) Crabat (Fr.) is of late well known with us to be that Linnen which is worn about Mens (especially Souldiers and Travellers) Necks, in stead of a Band].
1658. Wit Restored, Burse of Reform. (Fairholt), Pray you Madam sitt, ile shew you good ware … Against a stall or on a stool Youl nere hurt a crevatt.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. iii. 1166. The Handkerchief about the neck (Canonical Crabat of Smeck).
1672. Wycherley, Love in Wood, III. ii. ’Twould be as convenient to buy satires against women ready made, as it is to buy cravats ready tied.
1676. Etheredge, Man of Mode, I. i. 12. That a mans excellency should lie in Neatly tying of a Ribbond, or a Crevat!
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 17/1. A Cravatt is … nothing else but a long Towel put about the Collar.
1695. Congreve, Love for L., I. xiv. Criticks, with long Wigs, Steinkirk Cravats, and terrible Faces.
1798. Anti-Jacobin, iv. 16. While patriots … with tri-colour’d fillets, and cravats of green, Shall crowd round the altar of Saint Guillotine.
1874. Burnand, My Time, v. 40. He would fold his cravat twice round, and tie it in the nattiest bow possible.
1888. Frith, Autobiog., III. xii. 236. Dickens wore one of the large cravats which had not then gone out of fashion.
b. fig. in reference to hanging or strangling.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. i. 341. Hemp … Which others for Cravats have worn About their Necks.
1685. Roxb. Ball., V. 607. The Gallows comes next … a hempen Cravat.
1820. Byron, Juan, V. lxxxix. With tough strings of the bow … To give some rebel Pacha a cravat.
2. attrib. and Comb., as cravat-goose, a name for the Canada Goose (Bernicla canadensis), from the white mark on its throat; † cravat-string, the part by which the cravat was tied.
1684. Otway, Atheist, I. i. Concerning Poets, Plays … Peruques and Crevat-strings.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Wks., IV. 210 (Fairholt). His cravat reached down to his middle…. A most prodigious cravat-string peeped from under his chin, the two corners of which … eclipsed three-quarters of his face. Ibid. (1760), IV. 223 (D.). The well-ty’d cravat-string wins the dame.
1795. Hull Advertiser, 13 June, 4/1. With cravat puddings battle wage.
1838. Penny Cycl., XI. 308. The Canada Goose, or Cravat Goose…. L’Oie à cravate of the French.
Hence Cravat v. trans., to furnish with a cravat fig. to cover as with a cravat; intr. to put on a cravat. Cravatless a., without a cravat. Cravatted a., wearing a cravat. † Cravatteer, one who ties a cravat. (All more or less nonce-wds.)
1814. Syd. Smith, Mem. & Lett. (1855), II. cvi. Douglas alarmed us the other night with the croup. I … cravatted his throat with blisters, and fringed it with leeches.
1827. Lytton, Pelham, xxxiii. I redoubled my attention to my dress; I coated and cravatted.
1834. Blackw. Mag., XXXVI. 779. Pozzlethwayte was … cravat-less.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, l. The young man … handsomely cravatted.
1853. C. Brontë, Villette, xiv. (D.). So nicely dressed … so booted and gloved and cravated.
1859. Chamb. Jrnl., XI. 319. The master of the wardrobe put the cravat round the royal neck, while the ‘cravatteer’ tied it.
