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wimple

Apparel
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

A cloth covering the head, neck, and chin, worn by women in the Middle Ages and still worn by some nuns, evoking modesty, piety, and the cloistered feminine ideal.

Detailed Definition
The wimple is a garment of severe simplicity, framing the face in white or dark fabric, leaving only the oval of the face visible. In medieval and historical poetry, the wimple is often worn by virtuous wives, widows, and holy women, its pristine whiteness a sign of purity and its lack of ornament a rejection of vanity. In Arthurian romance, the wimple can be a token of a lady's fidelity, and its removal might signal a change in status or intention. In religious poetry, the wimple is the hallmark of the nun, her face contained within its folds as within a cell. The wimple also appears in elegies for lost eras, its disappearance from everyday dress a symbol of the passing of old custom. Its stiff, framing form makes it a distinct visual anchor in descriptive verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Her wimple of white linen framed her face like a moon in a cloud"; "The nun's wimple hid her hair, a veil of renunciation"; "He saw her only through the wimple's narrow opening, a glimpse of a soul"; "The wimple's starched folds were a fortress of modesty"; "She removed her wimple and let her hair fall, a woman of the world"; "The wimple, stiff and pale, was the uniform of a life devoted to prayer"
Additional Notes
The wimple is a garment of severe simplicity, framing the face in white or dark fabric, leaving only the oval of the face visible. In medieval and historical poetry, the wimple is often worn by virtuous wives, widows, and holy women, its pristine whiteness a sign of purity and its lack of ornament a rejection of vanity. In Arthurian romance, the wimple can be a token of a lady's fidelity, and its removal might signal a change in status or intention, such as entering the world or embracing passion. In religious poetry, the wimple is the hallmark of the nun, her face contained within its folds as within a cell, symbolizing renunciation of the world. The wimple also appears in elegies for lost eras, its disappearance from everyday dress a symbol of the passing of old custom. Its stiff, framing form makes it a distinct visual anchor in descriptive verse. Related terms include veil, headdress, and guimpe. Students should consider the wimple's associations with modesty, piety, and medieval femininity, and how its severe lines can emphasize the wearer's eyes or expression.
Other Meanings of “wimple”
Also Known As
nun's veil medieval headcloth chin-and-neck covering
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