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Synonyms

overcoat

American  
[oh-ver-koht, oh-ver-koht, oh-ver-koht] / ˈoʊ vərˌkoʊt, ˌoʊ vərˈkoʊt, ˈoʊ vərˌkoʊt /

noun

  1. a coat worn over the ordinary indoor clothing, as in cold weather.

  2. Also called overcoating.  an added coating, coating, as of paint, applied for protection.

verb (used with object)

  1. to apply an additional coat of paint to (a surface).

overcoat British  
/ ˈəʊvəˌkəʊt /

noun

  1. a warm heavy coat worn over the outer clothes in cold weather

"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 overcoat

First recorded in 1795–1805; over- + coat

Compare meaning

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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.

He became a fixture on television news, wearing either military style tactical gear or a long, double-breasted green overcoat with wide lapels that critics said was meant to echo Nazi German military garb.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Tucked into a pocket, the muslin pouch has kept my wool winter overcoat smelling fresh—and reminding me of Paris—all season.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

This year's unofficial fashion prize goes to Teyana Taylor and her shimmering black overcoat.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

Hidden beneath that rumpled overcoat and red sweater vest, his performance joyously proclaims, is the soul of a natural-born dancer.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2023

While five-year-old Joseph carefully inscribed his name on a line, a middle-aged man in a worn overcoat and swathed in a bright red scarf approached them.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

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.