shell jacket

American  

noun

1. a close-fitting, semiformal jacket, with a short back, worn in the tropics in place of a tuxedo.

---

shell jacket British  

noun

1. an army officer's waist-length mess jacket

---

Etymology

Origin of shell jacket

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Lastly, a waterproof, breathable shell jacket will keep you dry and block any wind.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2022

“My clothing system changed depending on the location, but I always had an insulated jacket and a rain shell jacket and rain pants,” Kleedehn said of her hiking threads while in Washington.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 20, 2022

“This is Black Beach,” offered the man, practically dressed in high wading boots, shell jacket and heavy briar-repelling gloves.

From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2021

“If you use a shell jacket like the one I have, they keep you dry, but they don’t keep you warm, so it’s very important to have a sweater under it,” he says.

From The Guardian • Sep. 30, 2020

I made out the shell jacket, the waist and elongated limbs of a life-guardsman, the open bosom of an able seaman.

From Lore of Proserpine by Hewlett, Maurice Henry