Meaning
A garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair worn close to the skin used by members of various Christian traditions as a self-imposed means of penance (repentance) and mortification of the flesh.
Etymology
Origin: Latin
From French cilice, from Latin cilicium (“clothing made of goatskin”), from Cilicia where it originates from.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
hairshirtsackcloth
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.