Dictionary.com
definitions

sou'wester

[sou-wes-ter]
|

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).

Origin of sou'wester

First recorded in 1830–40; reduced form of southwester
Also called nor'wester (for defs 1, 2).
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sou'wester

Historical Examples of 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!

British Dictionary definitions for sou'wester

sou'wester

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