tunic

[ too-nik, tyoo- ]

/ ˈtu nɪk, ˈtyu- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tunic ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Chiefly British. a coat worn as part of a military or other uniform.

a gownlike outer garment, with or without sleeves and sometimes belted, worn by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

a woman's upper garment, either loose or close-fitting and extending over the skirt to the hips or below.

a garment with a short skirt, worn by women for sports.

Ecclesiastical. a tunicle.

Anatomy, Zoology. any covering or investing membrane or part, as of an organ.

Botany. an integument, as that covering a seed.

Nearby words

Origin of tunic

before 900; (< French tunique) < Latin tunica; perhaps also continuing Old English tunece, tunica < Latin

Related formssub·tu·nic, nounsu·per·tu·nic, nounun·der·tu·nic, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tunic

Be kind enough to add to the tunic, gilt sandals, and a vial of oil to anoint my beard and hair.
Thais|Anatole France
Nigel thrust his hand into his tunic and brought out a packet.
The Mercenary|W. J. Eccott
In the best times, however, the subligculum was worn under the tunic or replaced by it.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston
Pettigill paused and looked at the watch he carried on a long chain attached to a clasp on his tunic.
Tape Jockey|Tom Leahy

Ross strung his with the cord he had been keeping dry within the breast folds of his tunic.
The Time Traders|Andre Norton

British Dictionary definitions for tunic

tunic

/ (ˈtjuːnɪk) /

noun

any of various hip-length or knee-length garments, such as the loose sleeveless garb worn in ancient Greece or Rome, the jacket of some soldiers, or a woman's hip-length garment, worn with a skirt or trousers

anatomy botany zoology a covering, lining, or enveloping membrane of an organ or partSee also tunica

mainly RC Church another word for tunicle

Word Origin for tunic

Old English tunice (unattested except in the accusative case), from Latin tunica

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

Word Origin and History for tunic

tunic

c.1600, from Middle French tunique, from Latin tunica (cf. Spanish tunica, Italian tonica, Old English tunece, Old High German tunihha), probably from a Semitic source (cf. Hebrew kuttoneth "coat," Aramaic kittuna).

Medicine definitions for tunic

tunic

[ tōō′nĭk ]

n.

A coat or layer enveloping an organ or a part; tunica.

tunic

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of tunic

Examples from the Web for tunic

tunic

noun

Word Origin for tunic

tunic

tunic

n.