raincoat
Americannoun
-
raincoats
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of raincoat
Explanation
The waterproof jacket you throw on before heading out on a drizzly gray day is a raincoat. If you're traveling to India during monsoon season, be sure to pack your raincoat! Simply put, a raincoat is a coat that protects you from getting drenched in the rain. You might also call it a "slicker" or a "rain jacket." Some raincoats are truly waterproof, while others are merely water resistant — these will keep you dry for a while but are less useful if you're walking miles in a downpour. The original "modern" raincoat was invented in 1824 by a Scottish chemist who layered fabric and rubber to create a new waterproof material.
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:
The Colombian American soulstress has played many roles in her songs: a baddie, a psychic, a woman adrift at sea in a yellow raincoat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025
She was understanding and said she'd brought a raincoat.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2025
Later, she danced with a yellow raincoat over her head.
From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2024
By the middle of the week, you’ll want to pack a raincoat.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2024
Lane Coutell, in a Burberry raincoat that apparently had a wool liner buttoned into it, was one of the six or seven boys out on the open platform.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
Chinese authorities were sending additional disaster relief like food, raincoats and rubber boats to the region, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
It is found in a wide range of items, including medical devices, toys, shower curtains, and raincoats.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
"If Robbie Williams comes out? No, I'm leaving," said a woman next to me in the audience, as the stage filled with random people - common people - dressed in plastic raincoats.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2025
Our second suggestion is to find ways to help put raincoats on those at whom the firehose of falsehood is being directed.
From Salon ● May 27, 2025
Some of Mama’s friends would come early to help; Merry would take a nap; Tidings would show Mr. Johnson how to shake out raincoats and where to hang them.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
