/kreuh vat"/ , n.
1. necktie (defs. 1, 2).
2. a cloth, often made of or trimmed with lace, worn about the neck by men esp. in the 17th century.
3. Med. a bandage made by folding a triangular piece of material into a band, used temporarily for a fracture or wound.
[ 1650-60; cravate neckcloth, lit., Croat ( Krabate hrvat ); so called because worn by Croatian mercenaries in the French army ]