Dictionary

pilch en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pɪlt͡ʃ/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English pilche, from Old English pylċe, pyleċe, from Late Latin pellicia. A doublet of pelisse; also see pelt (“skin”).

Meanings

1. (obsolete) A gown or case of skin, or one trimmed or lined with fur.
   • will you pluck your sword out of his pilches? c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
2. (archaic) A covering put over an infant's diaper to prevent outer clothes from getting wet.
   • It used to be the fashion to put a second thick covering or "pilch" over the napkin to keep the outer clothes from wet; but this is by no means healthy, as it over-heats this part of the body, and is often a mere excuse for neglecting the frequent changes that should be made, so that the skin is apt to become sodden, and subsequently sore, from damp heat. 1884, Sophia Jex-Blake, The Care of Infants: A Manual for Mothers and Nurses, Macmillan, page 6:

Forms

Deriveds

Pilcher · pilcher