The Collaborative International Dictionary
Birrus \Bir"rus\, n. [LL., fr. L. birrus a kind of cloak. See Berretta.] A coarse kind of thick woolen cloth, worn by the poor in the Middle Ages; also, a woolen cap or hood worn over the shoulders or over the head.
Wiktionary
n. 1 A coarse kind of thick woollen cloth, worn by the poor in the Middle Ages. 2 A woollen cap or hood worn over the shoulders or head.
Wikipedia
A birrus or birrus brittanicus was a rainproof, hooded woollen cloak (or simply a hood alone), characteristically worn in Britain and Gaul at the time of the Roman Empire and into the Middle Ages.
A mosaic at Chedworth Roman Villa shows a Briton wearing a birrus brittanicus there is also one shown on a statue of a ploughman at the British Museum.
Usage examples of "birrus".
Birri, carabinieri, zuavi, dragoni, in un fascio, colpiti da tegole, stoviglie e arnesi gettati dalle finestre popolane, dalle coltellate del popolo e da alcune poche carabine e fucili, precipitavano la loro fuga nella Lungara verso Ponte S.
Romani che sono sotto la vigilanza di soldati stranieri, e di soldati stranieri e romani custoditi da birri, sotto il nome di gendarmi.