jacket

American  

[jak-it] / ˈdʒæk ɪt /

noun

1. a short coat, in any of various forms, usually opening down the front.

2. something designed to be placed around the upper part of the body for a specific purpose other than use as clothing.

   a life jacket.

3. a protective outer covering.

4. the skin of a potato, especially when it has been cooked.

5. book jacket.

6. the cover of a paperbound book, usually bearing an illustration.

7. a paper or cardboard envelope for protecting a phonograph record.

8. a metal casing, as the steel covering of a cannon, the steel cover around the core of a bullet, or the water jacket on certain types of machine guns.

9. a folded paper or open envelope containing an official document.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put a jacket on (someone or something).

jacket British  

/ ˈdʒækɪt /

noun

1. a short coat, esp one that is hip-length and has a front opening and sleeves

2. something that resembles this or is designed to be worn around the upper part of the body

   a life jacket

3. any exterior covering or casing, such as the insulating cover of a boiler

4. the part of the cylinder block of an internal-combustion engine that encloses the coolant

5. See dust jacket

6. 1. the skin of a baked potato

   2. ( as modifier )

      jacket potatoes

7. a metal casing used in certain types of ammunition

8. Brit name: sleeve.  a cover to protect a gramophone record

9. a folder or envelope to hold documents

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verb

1. (tr) to put a jacket on (someone or something)

Other Word Forms

• jacket-like adjective
• jacketed adjective
• jacketless adjective
• jacketlike adjective
• underjacket noun
• unjacketed adjective

Etymology

Origin of jacket

1425–75; late Middle English jaket < Middle French ja ( c ) quet, equivalent to jaque jack ⁴ + -et -et

Example Sentences

An AI-generated video shows a crowd of young - mostly black - men, wearing balaclavas and padded jackets, slipping down a water slide into a dirty swimming pool with litter bobbing on the surface.

From BBC

But when Harrison Ford walked by wearing that jacket, I was 5-years-old again.

From Los Angeles Times

The maker of high-end outerwear and apparel, which is best known for its puffer jackets, said the accelerating trend seen in last year’s final quarter carried into 2026 to date.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kim, in a black leather jacket, operated a missile launcher as thousands of North Koreans waved their national flag.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the darkness, the other kids were mostly miscellaneous blobs, but Jonah could pick out Katherine’s bright orange jacket in the middle of a huge cluster of kids.

From Literature

Related Words

• coat
• fur
• parka
• sheath
• tunic