sou'wester

[ sou-wes-ter ]

/ ˌsaʊˈwɛs tər /

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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.

contraction of southwester.

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Also called nor'west·er

[nawr-wes-ter] /ˌnɔrˈwɛs tər/ (for defs. 1, 2) .

Origin of sou'wester

First recorded in 1830–40; reduced form of southwester

Words nearby sou'wester

Souvanna Phouma, souvenir, souvenir sheet, souvlaki, souvlakia, sou'wester, sovereign, sovereigntist, sovereignty, sovereignty association, Sovetsk

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sou'wester in a sentence

M. d'Infreville, justly incensed against me, had not left me a sou, and my mother and I became terribly poor.
The Seven Cardinal Sins: Envy and Indolence|Eugne Sue
The flowers are lovely; you can buy a big bunch of violets for a son, and sou is the peasant word for a halfpenny.
Round the Wonderful World|G. E. Mitton
If you don't have the young woman, you can live at Hopton, but without a sou to your name.
Dross|Henry Seton Merriman
But I don't care a sou where I go if I can get to act, or who they are if they'll help me.
The Tragic Muse|Henry James

St. Genis, who hasn't a sou, was out of the question, I suppose.
The Bronze Eagle|Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy

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