tunic

[too-nik, tyoo-]

noun

1. Chiefly British.,  a coat worn as part of a military or other uniform.

2. a gownlike outer garment, with or without sleeves and sometimes belted, worn by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

3. a woman's upper garment, either loose or close-fitting and extending over the skirt to the hips or below.

4. a garment with a short skirt, worn by women for sports.

5. Ecclesiastical.,  a tunicle.

6. Anatomy, Zoology.,  any covering or investing membrane or part, as of an organ.

7. Botany.,  an integument, as that covering a seed.

tunic

/ ˈtjuːnɪk /

noun

1. any of various hip-length or knee-length garments, such as the loose sleeveless garb worn in ancient Greece or Rome, the jacket of some soldiers, or a woman's hip-length garment, worn with a skirt or trousers

2. anatomy botany zoology a covering, lining, or enveloping membrane of an organ or part See also tunica

3. RC Church another word for tunicle

Other Word Forms

• subtunic noun
• supertunic noun
• undertunic noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tunic¹

before 900; (< French tunique ) < Latin tunica; perhaps also continuing Old English tunece, tunica < Latin

Word History and Origins

Origin of tunic¹

Old English tunice (unattested except in the accusative case), from Latin tunica

Example Sentences

There’s a younger version of the character, played by Steven Booth in a cartoon muscle suit and a tunic that makes it easy to flash the audience.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Priests wear simpler garments and a long scarf over their tunic called a red stole.

Read more on BBC

Sitting in court, 59-year-old Mohammed, his beard dyed bright orange and wearing a headdress, tunic and trousers, bore little resemblance to a photo circulated shortly after his capture in 2003.

Read more on BBC

Basking in the late afternoon sun, the 37-year-old took to the stage wearing a bright white kanzu robe - a traditional tunic from Uganda, where his parents are from.

Read more on BBC

And as I leaned over, when I was talking to Jeff, I was unbuttoning his tunic, and then realized only the top three unbuttoned and it was actually done with a zip on the back.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• blouse 
• coat 
• jacket 
• robe