anorak

American  

[an-uh-rak, ah-nuh-rahk] / ˈæn əˌræk, ˈɑ nəˌrɑk /

noun

1. a hooded pullover jacket originally made of fur and worn in the Arctic, now made of any weather-resistant fabric.

2. a jacket patterned after this, made of any weather-resistant material and worn widely.

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anorak British  

/ ˈænəˌræk /

noun

1. a warm waterproof hip-length jacket usually with a hood, originally worn in polar regions, but now worn for any outdoor activity

2. informal a socially inept person with a hobby considered by most people to be boring

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Etymology

Origin of anorak

First recorded in 1920–25; from Inuit (Greenlandic) annoraaq

Example Sentences

Blond-haired, blue-eyed Adam wears a red anorak and a woollen hat, with a Mickey Mouse sticker on the front.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2025

Taman, wearing a light anorak, is camping out with his parents, his 11-year old brother and seven-month old sister near the border fence where Polish security forces are trying to prevent the migrants from crossing.

From Reuters • Nov. 16, 2021

Sara Cummings, clad in an arctic-white anorak, baggy forest green cargo pants and thick-soled white hiking boots, is about to step in front of the camera at the Reese Cooper fashion show and lookbook shoot.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2021

Morrison is an internet specialist rather than a political anorak, which partly explains why, to a political journalist such as myself, his take on current affairs seems so unorthodox.

From The Guardian • Oct. 22, 2019

The cold air struck through as she opened her anorak, but in a few seconds she had what she wanted, and took a gold coin from her purse before wrapping herself close again.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• cloak
• frock
• jacket
• overcoat
• raincoat
• suit
• tuxedo
• windbreaker
• wrap