flak jacket

American

noun

U.S. Air Force. an armored garment made of steel plates covered by a padded fabric, designed to protect vital parts of the body from shrapnel.
a protective vest, especially one that is bulletproof.

flak jacket British

noun

a reinforced sleeveless jacket for protection against gunfire or shrapnel worn by soldiers, policemen, 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

Etymology

Origin of flak jacket

First recorded in 1955–60

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.

Wine, who has been repeatedly arrested in the past, campaigned in a flak jacket, saying the race has become a "war".

From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026

He reportedly was wearing a flak jacket with “press” on it.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 25, 2023

My children visit me when I'm working - they put on my flak jacket, my helmet, and we laugh together.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2023

Salem, still wearing a protective flak jacket, picked up his wife, Khawla, and drove in his armoured vehicle to Gaza City’s Al-Sahaba hospital.

From Reuters • Oct. 12, 2023

Gearhart had his head up, his flak jacket was open.

From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023