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raiment

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Clothing, garments, or attire, especially fine, ceremonial, or formal dress; apparel or vestments, often with connotations of dignity or special occasion.

Detailed Definition
“Raiment” elevates “clothes” to poetic register, evoking status or ritual. In biblical and romance poetry, it describes wedding or royal attire. The term’s softness suits lyrical description. Poets use it to explore how dress reflects identity, where raiment signifies virtue, wealth, or disguise, reinforcing themes of appearance, transformation, and social code in narrative traditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
“She changed her raiment for the feast,” in a ceremonial scene; In Shakespeare’s Macbeth: “Put on their old raiment”; “His raiment was of sackcloth, though he was king”; “The fairy’s raiment shimmered like dew”; “Raiment of sorrow, or joy?” asked the tailor-poet; Her raiment bore the colors of mourning.
Additional Notes
“Raiment” elevates clothing to ceremonial or symbolic status; in biblical or allegorical verse, “tattered raiment” signifies humility, while “golden raiment” marks divine or royal presence.
Also Known As
clothing garments attire claes
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