/ · 1894 Brewer’s · C · Cap of Maintenance
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A cap of dignity anciently belonging to the rank of duke; the fur cap of the Lord Mayor of London, worn on days of state; a cap carried before the British sovereigns at their coronation. Maintenance here means defence.
· ·
Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.