- present tense form of fatigue (3rd person singular).
fatigues
Americanplural noun
Etymology
Origin of fatigues
First recorded in 1830–40
Explanation
Fatigues are the casual clothes that military personnel wear. Fatigues sometimes have a camouflage pattern. When you see Army soldiers wearing camouflage trousers and jackets, you can say they've got their fatigues on. Another name for fatigues is "battledress," as opposed to the more formal dress uniforms worn by members of all military branches. Fatigues are what soldiers wear when they're working or engaging in battle. In the 1770's, fatigues meant "extra duties of a soldier," from fatigue, or tiredness. It came to also mean "military clothing" in the mid-1880's.
Vocabulary lists containing fatigues
The Things They Carried
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Fallen Angels
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This Week In Words: February 1–7, 2020
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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.
The two brothers' coffins, draped in the Iran-backed group's yellow flag, portraits of them in camouflage fatigues fixed to the front, led the procession through the village battered by repeated conflict over nearly three years.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Some people waiting in food lines say they miss the leadership of a man who bestrode the island in his trademark green military fatigues and whose memory still looms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Last Friday he was filmed in military fatigues, meeting commanders where he claimed victories on the front line and promised to take yet more territory.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
TV footage showed police commandos in fatigues entering the Senate building in Manila early on Wednesday evening, with anti-riot policemen with shields and helmets surrounding the perimeter.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
Wearing his Marine fatigues, Uncle Jet proudly held a black rifle across his broad chest.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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