scapular

noun /ˈskapjʊlə/

1. A short cloak worn around the shoulders, adopted as part of the uniform of various religious orders, later often with an embroidered image of a saint.

   A scapular, or friar's coat, for example, was a coveted object to be worn as a preservative against pestilence or the ague […]

2. One of a special group of feathers which arise from each of the scapular regions and lie along the sides of the back.

3. A bandage passing over the shoulder to support it, or to retain another bandage in place.

4. A devotional object, typically consisting of two rectangular pieces of cloth (often with an embroidered image or text) joined with cloth bands and worn with one piece over the chest and one in the back.

Where it comes from

From Middle English scapelar, from Latin scapulāre, from Latin scapula (“shoulder”). Compare scapulary.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry scapular (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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