waistcoat

American  

[wes-kuht, weyst-koht] / ˈwɛs kət, ˈweɪstˌkoʊt /

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.

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waistcoat British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• underwaistcoat
  noun
• waistcoated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of waistcoat

First recorded in 1510–20; waist + coat

Explanation

A waistcoat is a piece of clothing most often worn as part of a man's suit — it's the sleeveless garment you wear over a button-up shirt and under a suit jacket. A waistcoat is essentially the same thing as a formal vest. While you might throw on a warm vest to take your dog for a walk, you're more likely to wear a waistcoat if you're an usher in your cousin's wedding. The word dates from the 15th century, when a waistcoat was long-sleeved and worn under a man's doublet, a close-fitting jacket. As the name implies, unlike longer formal coats, waistcoats were cropped at the waist.

Example Sentences

Piping on the waistcoat is “a kick” to stand out against judges in black.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

His red coat with black trim, red waistcoat with hand-stitched buttonholes and gold regimental buttons, and white breeches “represent the only complete uniform of the Revolutionary war.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

Asked why he wore an old-fashioned waistcoat and a fedora to the museum, Pedro said he began dressing this way recently, inspired by 20th-century statesmen and fictional detectives.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

A beige T-shirt and waistcoat ensemble looked red carpet-ready with its chicly pleated, arrow-thin assorted tie.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2024

She buttoned the waistcoat snugly over the shirt and sat down to lace on her boots, then pulled her hair back and tucked it beneath the high collar before tying the cravat around her neck.

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo