1A type of undershirt or undertunic worn in ancient Rome.
2In the Anglo-Saxon church: a tunic worn beneath the alb. rare.
Origin
Late 17th century; earliest use found in Thomas Brown (bap. 1663, d. 1704), writer. From classical Latin subucula undertunic, in post-classical Latin also undertunic worn by a priest in the Old Testament (Vulgate) from sub- + -uere to put + -cula.