Roman collar

plural Roman collars

1. A clerical collar.

   There was a priest down here two nights ago to do his bit of business with his coat buttoned up. You needn't try to hide, I says to him. I know you've a Roman collar.

   1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 15: Circe]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC, part II [Odyssey], page 488

   3 more examples

   'The Rev. Sebastian Diggles!' said the servant at that instant, throwing open the library-door, and ushering in a tall, heavy-looking personage, somewhat quaintly attired in the clerical costume of the last century, relieved by a few additional peculiarities—to wit, a Roman collar, &c.

   1844, Difficulties of a Young Clergyman in Times of Division

   The clerical Collar, generally styled the Roman Collar, and in French Rabat, was unknown as an article of ecclesiastical attire, at least in its present form, prior to the sixteenth century.

   1881, John O'Brien, A History of the Mass and Its Ceremonies in the Eastern and Western Church

   In some places priests who appear always in Roman collar are suspected of aspiring to higher offices. It is taken so because usually the bishops appear in this official dress. The wearing of Roman collar can potentially depersonalize someone.

   2011, Jordan Nyenyembe, African Catholic Priests: Confronting an Identity Problem, page 74