A white linen vestment worn around the neck and shoulders by clergy during religious services, or historically a piece of fabric worn as a cloak or hood.
From Old French 'amice,' from Medieval Latin 'amicia,' possibly from Latin 'amictus' (clothed) or from Arabic 'almassiyah.' The religious garment sense became the primary modern meaning.
The amice represents the strange journeys of words across cultures—it may come from Arabic origins or directly from Latin, traveled through medieval monastery clothing, and today only survives in Christian liturgy where it reminds clergy of humility and proper vestment.
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