waistcoat

[wes-kuht, weyst-koht]

noun

1. Chiefly British.,  vest.

2. an 18th-century garment for women that is similar to a man's vest, usually worn with a riding habit.

3. a man's body garment, often quilted and embroidered and having sleeves, worn under the doublet in the 16th and 17th centuries.

waistcoat

/ ˈweɪsˌkəʊt /

noun

1. US, Canadian, and Austral name: vest. a sleeveless waist-length garment with buttons at the front, often worn under a suit jacket

2. a man's garment worn under a doublet in the 16th century

Other Word Forms

• waistcoated adjective
• underwaistcoat noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of waistcoat¹

First recorded in 1510–20; waist + coat

Example Sentences

"Back in 1998, we had this outfit with tartan trews, a pinky lilac shirt, and these tartan waistcoats, which we were so proud of," Kennedy remembers.

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Wearing a blue waistcoat and a small bag, he waved to supporters in the public gallery during the brief hearing.

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This outfit combined the designer's two famous patterns - the LV monogram pattern on the waistcoat and jacket, as well as the damier checkerboard on the shorts.

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"Tariffs are great," exclaims rodeo fan Guy Algozzino, who's dressed in a cowboy hat, a waistcoat and a Western-style bolo tie with an engraved image of a cowboy riding a bull.

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He stands at 6ft2in, has a stocky build and grey hair and was last seen wearing a long black trench coat, grey trousers and waistcoat, blue shirt, brown shoes and a red and white tie.

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