anorak
Americannoun
-
a hooded pullover jacket originally made of fur and worn in the Arctic, now made of any weather-resistant fabric.
-
a jacket patterned after this, made of any weather-resistant material and worn widely.
noun
-
a warm waterproof hip-length jacket usually with a hood, originally worn in polar regions, but now worn for any outdoor activity
-
informal a socially inept person with a hobby considered by most people to be boring
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of anorak
First recorded in 1920–25; from Inuit (Greenlandic) annoraaq
Explanation
An anorak is a waterproof jacket with a hood. Another word for an anorak is a parka. Many anoraks are lined with fur or some other warm, wooly material. Arctic explorers and climbers wear anoraks, as well as Inuits and other native people in very cold regions. Inuits, in fact, invented the anorak for hunting and fishing, from seal and caribou skin coated with fish oil. The Kalaallisut language, from Greenland, used the word anoraq, which became anorak in the 1930s.
Vocabulary lists containing anorak
The Graveyard Book
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Red, White & Royal Blue
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Black Swan Green
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
Get your favourite anorak out of the cupboard, because we've been studying the nominations and listening to a lot of awards season podcasts to come up with 19 seriously geeky facts about this year's contenders.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2021
The young Pellow was a music anorak – he loved indie bands and soul singers.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 29, 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
Laura was wearing a shapeless blue anorak, and her hair—a lot shorter than before—was sticking to her forehead.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Moukoko's legend travelled far and wide, carried on fans' forums and whispered between Championship Manager anoraks.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
Think convertible anoraks, packable neoprene ballet flats, oversize scrunchies that double as mini purses!
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2025
Forever 21 partnered with Taco Bell to release a line of tops, bodysuits, sweatshirts and anoraks — all adorned with prints of the chain’s Tex-Mex-inspired food.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2024
The menswear collection gave lots of room for personal expression, from floral sarongs to linen trousers, studded leather jackets to neoprene tops, loose light beach trunks to flowing anoraks.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 17, 2022
Children were lining up to get hot drinks, some of them still in their coal-silk anoraks.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
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.
