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

The fashion house’s founder, Thomas Burberry, invented the fabric gabardine, a breathable material used for rainwear, in the late 1800s.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2024

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

Up close, her fabrications are enchanting: Most pieces in the store that come in chiffon, gabardine or cotton poplin also come in tulle in the same cut.

From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2017

He cut through the heavy gabardine cloth all the way around the thigh in a straight line.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller