sou'wester

[ sou-wes-ter ]
/ ˌsaʊˈwɛs tər /

noun

a waterproof hat, often of oilskin, having the brim very broad behind and slanted, worn especially by seamen.
an oilskin slicker, fastening with buckles, worn especially by seamen in rough weather.
southwester(def 1).

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Also called nor'wester (for defs 1, 2).

Origin of sou'wester

First recorded in 1830–40; reduced form of southwester

Words nearby sou'wester

sottish, sotto voce, sotu, sou, sou marqué, sou'wester, sou-sou, sou., souari nut, soubise, soubresaut
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for sou'wester

  • Occasionally applied to those men who cleanse the sewers, and who wear great boots and sou-wester hats.

    The Slang Dictionary|John Camden Hotten

  • Dead south-west for a miracle—cant go a step down the Channel in a sou-wester!

    The House on the Moor, v. 2/3|Mrs. Oliphant

British Dictionary definitions for sou'wester

sou'wester
/ (saʊˈwɛstə) /

noun

a waterproof hat having a very broad rim behind, worn esp by seamen

Word Origin for sou'wester

C19: a contraction of southwester
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