raincoat
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of raincoat
Explanation
The waterproof jacket you throw on before heading out on a drizzly gray day is a raincoat. If you're traveling to India during monsoon season, be sure to pack your raincoat! Simply put, a raincoat is a coat that protects you from getting drenched in the rain. You might also call it a "slicker" or a "rain jacket." Some raincoats are truly waterproof, while others are merely water resistant — these will keep you dry for a while but are less useful if you're walking miles in a downpour. The original "modern" raincoat was invented in 1824 by a Scottish chemist who layered fabric and rubber to create a new waterproof material.
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.
See Examples For:
Oldman loves returning to “Slow Horses” every year and says that as long as Apple is willing to “keep writing those checks, I’m not ready to hang up my dirty raincoat just yet.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
She was understanding and said she'd brought a raincoat.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2025
Later, she danced with a yellow raincoat over her head.
From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2024
By the middle of the week, you’ll want to pack a raincoat.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2024
He broke the newness of the shoes with rubbed sand and kneaded the raincoat to destroy its newness.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Chinese authorities were sending additional disaster relief like food, raincoats and rubber boats to the region, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
It is found in a wide range of items, including medical devices, toys, shower curtains, and raincoats.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2026
Instead, put raincoats on those at whom the firehose is aimed.
From Salon ● May 27, 2025
Burberry was founded in 1856 and has been making its famous raincoats in Yorkshire since 1972.
From BBC ● May 14, 2025
With that and the day being kind of drizzly, nobody is out there except two gamer kids sitting on their raincoats stealthily playing Switch with their backs against the wall where teachers can’t see them.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
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.
