White Friars
Preserved but no longer current.
The Carmelites (?.v.), so called because of the white mantle they wear over a brown habit. One of their houses, founded in London on the south side of Fleet Street m 1241, gives the name to that district, and was for many centuries a sanctuary.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “White Friars” mean?
The Carmelites (?.v.), so called because of the white mantle they wear over a brown habit. One of their houses, founded in London on the south side of Fleet Street m 1241, gives the name to that district, and was for many centuries a sanctuary.
Is “White Friars” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.