Wiktionary
n. A stiff white collar, having no opening at the front, fastened at the back, worn by members of the Christian clergy
WordNet
n. a stiff white collar with no opening in the front; a distinctive symbol of the clergy [syn: Roman collar, dog collar]
Wikipedia
A clerical collar is an item of Christian clerical clothing. It is a detachable collar that buttons onto a clergy shirt, being fastened by two metal studs, one attached at the front and one at the back to hold the collar to the shirt. The collar closes at the back of the neck, presenting a seamless front. It is almost always white and was originally made of cotton or linen but is now frequently made of plastic. Sometimes it is attached with a "collaret" or "collarino" that covers the white collar almost completely, except for the top edge and a small white square at the base of the throat, to mimic the collar of a cassock. The clerical shirt is usually black (or another color appropriate to a person's ministry rank), with a detachable tab of white in the front. When clergy are delivering sermons, they sometimes attach preaching bands to their clerical collar.
Usage examples of "clerical collar".
A middle aged man in the black suit and clerical collar of his profession met them and shook hands with MacDonald.
The other young man was very High Church Anglican, and addressed Darcourt as Father and wore a dark grey suit to which he obviously hoped, very soon, to add a clerical collar.
But now Yerko had spied Darcourt's gleaming clerical collar, and I feared for a moment that he was going to kiss his hand, peasant-style.
He wore a priest's cassock and clerical collar and seemed perfectly at home in the sacristy at the back of the church to which he'd taken me.
The vest and clerical collar had been made especially for him, sewn by a woman in Eisen.
Another white-haired man, this one frail with pre-prolong age and dressed all in black, relieved only by the white of an antique clerical collar, waited there for her.
The pair came toward us, the female clinging to her companion's arm, and I saw with a shock that the Greek hero wore a clerical collar.
The pale young man, who must be a curate, was as white as his clerical collar, and Baine, over by the door, was clutching the doorjamb for support.
The south door was open, and a workman was standing in it, under the porch just out of the rain, arguing with a young man in a clerical collar.
Did you think for one moment that stupid clerical collar would deceive such eyes as mine?
He was wearing a clerical collar and carpet slippers, and a pair of shiny grey pants that looked as if he'd pressed them under the mattress.
He knew at once who his nocturnal caller was, although the clerical collar and black hat and raincoat would have been enough in themselves.
His hair was greying and neatly cut, and he wore a black suit with a white clerical collar sharing space with a rosary and crucifix at his throat.
Nearest the altar dais knelt Vatican Secretary of State Simon Augustino Cardinal Lourdusamy -- a mountain of red and black in the ruddy light, his jowls and chins hiding his clerical collar as he bowed his head in prayer -- and behind him knelt the scarecrow figure of his aide, Monsignor Lucas Oddi.
It would be nice to have a male friend who wasn't fifty or sixty and didn't ever wear a clerical collar.