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blazer

American  
[blay-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:

The minute you glance at a blazer, blouse or sweatshirt, a saleswoman is at your elbow, asking if she can find your size or suggest a pair of pants to match.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 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

Arday’s back story—an autistic child of Ghanaian migrants who couldn’t speak until he was 11 and went on to become a trail blazer at Cambridge—came under scrutiny earlier this summer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

From September, uniforms will be limited to three items requiring a school logo, like a blazer, jumper or sportswear – plus a tie for secondary schools.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

A young woman in a blue blazer introduced herself as Juliette, their Sinclair ambassador.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Groppo highlighted the enthusiasm among a new male audience for Chanel ready-to-wear, including "loafers, trainers, blazers and bags".

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

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

Nor is it the way they never concerned themselves with prowling the stage or donning anything other than sensible blazers and jeans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

The names of those to play both cricket and football for England conjure up the feeling of a very different era: cigarette cards, blazers and the faint whiff of Brylcreem.

From BBC ● May 11, 2026

There were three of them at the third court hearing on November 26, older white women who dressed as chastely as nuns, in turtlenecks and blazers and sensible shoes.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

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