partlet

Meaning

Noun

• A hen (originally in the form Dame Partlet).
• A covering for the neck and upper chest, originally worn by both sexes, but later especially by women to cover a low neckline.

Origin

• Origin unknown; perhaps a diminutive form of pert, or from its habit of ruffling the feathers round its neck; see Etymology 2 below.
• Origin unknown. Possibly from the mediaeval French name Pertelote.