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blazer

American  
[bley-zer] / ˈbleɪ zər /

noun

  • blazers
    plural
  1. something that blazes or shines brightly.

  2. a sports jacket, usually a solid color or striped, having metal buttons and sometimes an insignia on the breast pocket, as one worn by a member of a club, school, or the like.

  3. a small cooking apparatus using as its source of heat a spirit lamp, hot coals, etc., used especially for preparing food at the table or outdoors.


blazer British  
/ ˈbleɪzə /

noun

  1. a fairly lightweight jacket, often striped or in the colours of a sports club, school, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of blazer

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at blaze 1, -er 1

Compare meaning

How does blazer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Explanation

A blazer is a jacket that is not as formal as a suit coat, but more formal than a cardigan. If you specify a business casual dress code on your party invitation, many people will show up wearing blazers. Another name for a blazer is a sports jacket or sport coat. Traditionally, blazers are made of wool or linen. While they come in various colors, a navy blazer is classic. This item of clothing is considered to be a little bit dressy, but not formal like a suit, tuxedo, or evening gown. The word blazer was originally used in colloquial American English for "attention-attracting thing." In late 19th-century British university slang, it came to mean "bright red flannel jacket."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

This term uniforms will be limited to three items with a school logo, like a blazer, jumper or sportswear – plus a tie for secondary schools.

From BBC Sep. 2, 2026

The flashy and perhaps overwhelmingly bright Chromeo took the Stardust Stage just before 9 p.m., with David Macklovitch donning a T-shirt with a very low neck and a glittering blazer.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 24, 2026

She said a pair of trousers and a blazer costs her £25 each.

From BBC Aug. 24, 2026

Whang wore a cheetah print blazer, and Doyle wore a wide-brimmed black hat — they both had on gold and red eye makeup.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 24, 2026

Half an hour later, she caught a glimpse of him, out on the patio, dressed as a devil in a red blazer from the thrift store and a pair of devil horns.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Back on land, the crew donned blazers and burned an old wooden scull in Peterhouse’s garden.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 19, 2026

In February, a secondary school in Derby announced it was ditching shirts, blazers and ties after a consultation with pupils, staff and parents.

From BBC Jun. 22, 2026

New York City is as electric as one of Clyde Frazier’s blazers.

From The Wall Street Journal May 26, 2026

Aesthetically, I dug Andy and Miranda’s sleek menswear looks, lots of vests and blazers with panache.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 29, 2026

The boys were neatly dressed in snow-white shirts, blazers with badges, preppy caps with badges, ties matching the badges, shiny black and brown shoes, worsted knee-high socks.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

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