Apparel, n.
Etymology: [OE. apparel, apareil, OF. apareil, appareil, preparation, provision, furniture, OF. apareiller to match, prepare, F. appareiller; OF. a (L. ad) + pareil like, similar, fr. LL. pariculus, dim. of L. par equal. See Pair.]
1. External clothing; vesture; garments; dress; garb; external habiliments or array. Fresh in his new apparel, proud and young. Denham. At public devotion his resigned carriage made religion appear in the natural apparel of simplicity. Tatler.
2. A small ornamental piece of embroidery worn on albs and some other ecclesiastical vestments.
3. (Naut.)
The furniture of a ship, as masts, sails, rigging, anchors, guns, etc.
1 more senses
Syn. -- Dress; clothing; vesture; garments; raiment; garb; costume; attire; habiliments.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Apparel, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Appareled, or Apparelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Appareling, or Apparelling.]
1. To make or get (something) ready; to prepare. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out. Ships . . . appareled to fight. Hayward.
3. To dress or clothe; to attire. They which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. Luke vii. 25.
4. To dress with external ornaments; to cover with something ornamental; to deck; to embellish; as, trees appareled with flowers, or a garden with verdure. Appareled in celestial light. Wordsworth.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for apparel; he lists it under dress.
Where he writes about it:
Apparel and attire are most frequently used of somewhat complete and elegant outer clothing, tho Shakespeare speaks of "poor and mean attire." Dress may be used, specifically, for a woman's gown, and in that sense may be either rich or shabby; but in the general sense it denotes outer clothing which is meant to be elegant, complete, and appropriate to some social or public occasion; as, full dress, court dress, evening dress, etc. — from dress
Dress has now largely displaced apparel and attire. — from dress