vestite

Vestite is a seldom-used English term that can function as both a noun and an adjective. It is primarily encountered in historical or literary contexts and is generally regarded as archaic or stylistic in modern English. As an adjective, vestite can mean clothed or wearing a vest or other garment; as a noun, it can refer to a person who is dressed in that manner. In contemporary writing, vestite is typically avoided in favor of more common expressions such as dressed, clothed, or wearer.

Etymology and related terms commonly link vestite to the Latin vestitus, meaning clothed, via the root vest- associated with garments. Related English words include vest, vestment, vesture, and vestmentary, all of which derive from the same clothing-related lineage.

Usage notes and usage history indicate that vestite appears sporadically in older dictionaries and in poets’ or novelists’ occasionally stylized lines. Because its presence is rare and it lacks a precise specialized meaning, it is usually interpreted narrowly as “clothed” or “garment-wearing” rather than as a technical term.

See also: vest, vestment, vesture, vestmentary.