chrisom
/ˈkrɪz(ə)m
/(also chrisom-cloth)
noun historical
A white robe put on a child at baptism, and used as its shroud if it died within the month.If the child died within a month of baptism, the chrisom-cloth was used as a burial shroud....
- Chrisomer literally means an infant buried in its baptism robe (chrisom).
- This white vesture was worn for a month after the child's birth, and if it died before the expiration of that time, it had the chrisom for its shroud.
Origin
Middle English: alteration of chrism, representing a popular pronunciation with two syllables.