praetexta

or pre·tex·ta

[ pree-tek-stuh ]

noun

, plural prae·tex·tae [pree-, tek, -stee].

1. (in ancient Rome) a white toga with a broad purple border, worn by priests and magistrates as an official costume, and by certain other Romans as ceremonial dress.
2. a similar garment worn by a boy until he assumed the toga virilis, or by a girl until she married.

Word History and Origins

Origin of praetexta¹

1595–1605; < Latin, short for toga praetexta literally, bordered toga. See pretext

Example Sentences

We are told how each victim was slain; how the brethren took off the toga praetexta, their crowns and golden ears of corn, then put them on again, and examined the entrails of the sacrifices; all as minutely detailed as the rubrics of any office of unction and coronation could possibly be.

From Project Gutenberg

Each wore a wreath of corn, a white fillet and the praetexta.

From Project Gutenberg

Behind Titanus stood his young son, Carnion, a raven-haired boy of twelve, dressed in the toga praetexta, a becoming garment of white with a wide edge of purple, and suspended from his neck the bulla, a round ornament of gold, worn especially by the children of the noble.

From Project Gutenberg

The tragic actors wore the crepida, corresponding to the cothurnus, and a heavy toga, which in the praetexta had the purple border giving its name to the species.

From Project Gutenberg

Octavia, a late praetexta ascribed to Seneca, was certainly not written by him.

From Project Gutenberg