gabardine

American  

[gab-er-deen, gab-er-deen] / ˈgæb ərˌdin, ˌgæb ərˈdin /

noun

1. Also a firm, tightly woven fabric of worsted, cotton, polyester, or other fiber, with a twill weave.

2. gaberdine.

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gabardine British  

/ ˌɡæbəˈdiːn, ˈɡæbəˌdiːn /

noun

1. a twill-weave worsted, cotton, or spun-rayon fabric

2. an ankle-length loose coat or frock worn by men, esp by Jews, in the Middle Ages

3. any of various other garments made of gabardine, esp a child's raincoat

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Etymology

Origin of gabardine

Spelling variant of gaberdine

Explanation

Gabardine is a durable, tightly woven fabric that's often used for jackets and other outerwear. Grab your gabardine raincoat — it's pouring outside! Rain jackets and windbreakers were once so commonly made of gabardine that it's still routine in the U.K. to use the word as a synonym for "raincoat." The word gabardine dates back to the 16th century, but the men's clothing maker Thomas Burberry is usually credited with inventing and naming gabardine fabric in 1879. Some experts trace the word to an ancient Indian garment, the kaba.

Example Sentences

One night before bed, M. Benamar shreds the silk lining from a pair of worn gabardine pants to craft a belt for his daughter.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2025

The experiment with traditional suiting fabrics, from pinstripe and tweed to cotton gabardine, took a different turn through with folded pleats.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 25, 2023

Mallory and Irvine, wearing wool and gabardine, hobnailed leather boots and homemade oxygen sets, disappeared into a swirling cloud on that fateful day, never to be seen alive again.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2022

In fact, purists insist that the best versions are the stiff, gabardine PE shorts sold in John Lewis’s school uniform department for less than a tenner.

From The Guardian • Jun. 23, 2020

Meanwhile, a vest required some internal structure and a fabric to support it—a wool gabardine, say, or a flannel.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman