khaki
Americannoun
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dull yellowish brown.
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a stout, twilled cotton cloth of this color, used especially in making uniforms.
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(used with a plural verb) Usually khakis.
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a uniform made of this cloth, especially a military uniform.
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a garment made of this cloth, especially trousers.
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a similar fabric of wool.
adjective
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of the color khaki.
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made of khaki.
noun
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a dull yellowish-brown colour
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( as adjective )
a khaki background
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a hard-wearing fabric of this colour, used esp for military uniforms
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( as modifier )
a khaki jacket
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of khaki
First recorded in 1855–60; from Urdu, from Persian khākī “dusty,” equivalent to khāk “dust” + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin
Explanation
Khaki is a type of fabric commonly used in uniforms, and the typical color of this fabric is also known as khaki. If you wear khaki pants and a white t-shirt every day, you might try spicing up your wardrobe with a bright floral print or a purple fedora. Khaki is a heavy-duty cotton fabric in a drab yellowish-brown shade. Khaki uniforms became common in the military because the fabric is both sturdy and inconspicuous. After British troops started wearing khaki in the 19th century, they became known as "the Khakis." Today a pair of khakis is just your everyday cotton trousers — you can also call them chinos. Khaki comes from the Persian word for "dust," khak.
Vocabulary lists containing khaki
Brown
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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.
Khaki says Shahverdi is "doing something unusual" in the film, which began in 2017 and took eight years to make.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
The weeks since the nomination, Khaki said, have been both “terrible and wonderful,” as her home country has been rocked by protests against the Iranian government.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026
Iranian American filmmakers Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki were well into the eight-year production of “Cutting Through Rocks” when they became recipients of a 2020 Sundance Documentary Fund grant.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026
The 38-inch long coat has a stylish removable belt and hood and is available in seven colors, including black, British Khaki, moss, steel blue, boysenberry, chili red and terracotta.
From Fox News • Nov. 29, 2021
We sat with our legs over the edge of the roof, surveying our Khaki Kingdom one last time.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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.
