Frock
/frɒk/noun
A loose outer garment or dress, especially for women or children; also a clerical robe.
Did you know?In English, frock first meant a monk’s robe, and only later broadened into a general term for outer garments and dresses—proof that sacred clothing often becomes everyday language.
Etymological Timeline
Late Old English / Middle English
English
frok
“A monk’s robe or outer garment”
Old French
Old French
froc
“A monk’s habit or cowl”
Medieval Latin
Latin
floccus
“A tuft of wool; shaggy lock, later associated with a garment term in Romance development”
Middle English
English
frocke
“An outer garment, robe, or dress”
Modern English
English
frock
“A dress or outer garment, especially for women or children; also a clerical robe”