parka
Americannoun
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a fur coat, shirtlike and hooded, for wear in the Arctic and other regions of extreme cold.
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a hip-length jacket or overshirt with an attached hood, often of wool or of a windproof, water-repellent material lined or trimmed with wool, used by skiers, hunters, the military, etc.
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any coat or jacket with a hood, as a hooded raincoat or windbreaker.
noun
Etymology
Origin of parka
First recorded in 1770–80; from Aleut or Yupik or directly from dialectal Russian párka, from Komi or directly from Nenets
Explanation
A parka is an insulated, waterproof coat with a hood. Before you head out on a winter camping trip in Canada, you'll want to make sure your parka is warm enough. Parkas are designed to block the wind and keep you warm — they are often lined with fur or another plush, cozy material. The earliest version of the parka was invented by Canadian Inuits, using caribou or seal skin and fur, and coated with fish oil to make it waterproof. Parka is an Aleut word that means "animal skins," and it's also used in Russian to mean "a jacket made from a pelt."
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.
As her rivals nervously shuffle in their boots, Shiffrin will clear space on the ground, fold a parka as a pillow, shut her blue eyes and doze off.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
The crowd are far more likely to spend their day in the sunshine on Saturday, but it will still be blustery and may feel slightly cool – the perfect weather to break out a parka.
From BBC • Aug. 8, 2025
One of the supposed ghosts they’ve been tracking has appeared, wearing Annie’s pink parka.
From Salon • Feb. 5, 2024
Appearing in a parka and a skullcap, he said he had only escaped because he believed he would be killed if he had remained in custody.
From New York Times • Jan. 13, 2024
My parka had to be turned inside out so all the sweat from the day could freeze and be scraped off in the morning.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
