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puttee

[puh-tee, poo-, puht-ee]
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noun
  1. a long strip of cloth wound spirally round the leg from ankle to knee, worn especially formerly as part of a soldier's uniform.
  2. a gaiter or legging of leather or other material, as worn by soldiers, riders, etc.
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Also putty, puttie.

Origin of puttee

1870–75; < Hindi paṭṭī bandage; akin to Sanskrit paṭṭa strip of cloth, bandage
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for puttees

Historical Examples

  • Perhaps we had a pair of puttees, and the rest of the costume was our own.

    The 23rd (Service) Battalion Royal Fusiliers (First Sportsman's)

    Fred W. Ward

  • I'm wondering about those puttees, dear—shanks in puttees are deceptive.

    The Gay Rebellion

    Robert W. Chambers

  • Upon his puttees it had dried so thickly that you could scarcely see the folds.

    Brought Forward

    R. B. Cunninghame Graham

  • I used to see you in uniform with cap and bronze buttons and sword and puttees.

  • We had puttees, but the greater number of us had no rubber boots.

    Private Peat

    Harold R. Peat

British Dictionary definitions for puttees

puttee

putty

noun plural -tees or -ties
  1. (usually plural) a strip of cloth worn wound around the legs from the ankle to the knee, esp as part of a military uniform in World War I
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Word Origin

C19: from Hindi pattī, from Sanskrit pattikā, from patta cloth
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

Word Origin and History for puttees

puttee

n.

1875, from Hindi patti "band, bandage," from Sanskrit pattah "strip of cloth."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper