What does stole mean?
A stole is a long, narrow wrap, usually worn by a woman around her neck and shoulders. Modern examples are often made from fur, cashmere, silk, or other soft fabric, and the word can carry associations of elegance, luxury, and traditional winter clothing. A second established meaning is a ceremonial garment worn by Christian clergy, particularly during worship and other formal occasions. The two meanings coexist, although the scarf is more common in contemporary general use. The word also appears as the past tense of steal, as in “She stole the book,” but that grammatical function is separate from the noun meanings. The spelling “stole” can therefore be encountered in several ways, and the surrounding context usually makes the intended sense clear.
A long, narrow scarf or wrap worn around the neck and shoulders, often made of fur or fine fabric.
"She fastened her long woollen stole with a brooch."
Often associated with formal or elegant clothing; historically used for a long outer garment.
A long ceremonial vestment worn by Christian clergy as part of liturgical dress.
"Each member of the choir entered wearing a purple stole."
Chiefly an ecclesiastical term, especially common in Anglican, Lutheran, and some other Christian traditions.
The simple past tense of steal.
"The thief stole the painting while the museum was closed."
This is a regular past-tense form; the past participle is stolen.
Used for more than one stole, especially in fashion or clothing contexts.
"The shop sells woollen stoles in several colours."
Today’s fashion stole was once the name of an official Roman garment, before being transformed into a shoulder scarf and then a sign of Christian office.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of stole
The noun entered Middle English through Old English and ultimately Latin stola, a long garment worn by Roman women; the Latin word came from Greek stolē, meaning garment or attire. The ecclesiastical meaning developed as the term was adopted for a long band-like vestment worn over the shoulders by clergy. The unrelated past-tense form of steal comes from Old English stæl and the Germanic verb represented by English steal.
Related word forms
How stole is actually used
In modern fashion usage, stole is common but somewhat formal and may suggest luxury or dressiness. In Christian contexts, it denotes a specific liturgical vestment and should not be confused with a scarf or mantle.
Easily confused with stole
A stole is a scarf or ceremonial vestment, whereas stolen is the past participle of steal, meaning taken unlawfully.