French, believed to be a corruption of "Croat".
Neckwear, both male and female, worn from the late 17th into the 19th century, ancestor of the modern necktie. Almost invariably made of or trimmed with lace. The female version was a kind of scarf or neckerchief, the male a piece of fabric tied round the throat, ends hanging down in front, filling the gap of the waistcoat and replacing the collar during the decades when the justaucorps had none.