1. Plural of pallium; a large rectangular cloak or mantle worn in ancient Rome.
Usage: historical; often used in academic or classical contexts
2. Plural of pallium; a vestment worn by the Pope and certain archbishops in the Roman Catholic Church, consisting of a white woolen band worn over the shoulders.
Usage: religious; ecclesiastical
3. Plural of pallium; in anatomy, the mantle or outer layer of tissue in mollusks.
Usage: zoological; scientific

Examples

• Roman senators wore palliums as a sign of their status and rank.
• The archbishop received his palliums during the formal investiture ceremony.
• In marine biology, the palliums of clams and oysters secrete the shell.
• Ancient texts describe the various colors and styles of palliums worn by different social classes.
• The Pope's palliums are made from wool of lambs blessed on Saint Agnes's feast day.
• Students of classical history studied how palliums differed from togas in Roman dress.