partlet

partlet · noun¹

Origin unknown; perhaps a diminutive form of pert, or from its habit of ruffling the feathers round its neck; see Etymology 2 below.

partlet · noun²

Origin unknown. Possibly from the mediaeval French name Pertelote.

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. A hen (originally in the form Dame Partlet).
• from 16th c. A covering for the neck and upper chest, originally worn by both sexes, but later especially by women to cover a low neckline.