Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COL'LAR, n. [L. collare; Fr. collier, collet; Arm. colyer; It. collare; Sp. collar; from L. collum, the neck.]

1. Something worn round the neck, as a ring of metal, or a chain. The knights of several orders wear a chain of gold, enameled, and sometimes set with ciphers or other devices, to which the badge of the order is appended. – Encyc.
2. The part of a garment which surrounds the neck. Job xxx. 18.
3. A part of a harness for the neck of a horse or other beast, used in draught.
4. Among seamen, the upper part of a stay; also, a rope in form of a wreath to which a stay is confined. – Mar. Dict. To slip the collar, is to escape or get free; to disentangle one's self from difficulty, labor, or engagement. Johnson. A collar of brawn, is the quantity bound up in one parcel. [Not used in America.] – Johnson.