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Definition of "maniple" [man•i•ple]

  • An ornamental silk band hung as an ecclesiastical vestment on the left arm near the wrist. (noun)
  • A subdivision of an ancient Roman legion, containing 60 or 120 men. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "maniple" in a sentence
  • "The maniple is not used, and the deacon and subdeacon wear dalmatic and tunicle."
  • "For many years the old tactical unit called the maniple had proven too small to contend with the massive, undisciplined armies the legions often had to fight; the cohort — three times the size of the maniple — had been gradually supplanting it in actual practice."
  • "Note that the maniple of the centurial tribune is now at eighty percent strength, hence this maniple is usually assigned to kitchen duties."