ACCOLADE

ACCOLA'DE, noun [Latin ad and collum, neck.]A ceremony formerly used in conferring knighthood; but whether an embrace or a blow, seems not to be settled.

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Ac′co‐lade″ (ăk′kō̍‐lād″ or –lȧd″; 277), n. [[F. accolade, It. accolata, fr. accollare to embrace; L. ad + collum neck.]] 1. 1. A ceremony formerly used in conferring knighthood, consisting of an embrace, and a slight blow on the shoulders with the flat blade of a sword.
2. 2. (Mus.) A brace used to join two or more staves.