waistcoat

[ wes-kuht, weyst-koht ]

noun

1. Chiefly British. vest ( def 1 ).
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. a sleeveless waist-length garment with buttons at the front, often worn under a suit jacket US, Canadian, and Austral namevest
2. a man's garment worn under a doublet in the 16th century

Derived Forms

• ˈwaistˌcoated, adjective

Other Words From

• waistcoat·ed adjective
• under·waistcoat noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of waistcoat¹

First recorded in 1510–20; waist + coat

Example Sentences

He wears his characteristic white shalwar kameez with a tattered gray waistcoat.

From The Daily Beast

A little gospel here, a little Chesterton there, a little waistcoat here.

From The Daily Beast

At another point he forgot his waistcoat, and sent another man to look for it.

From The Daily Beast

She took the podium in a black McQueen waistcoat embroidered with gold flowers and knee-high leather boots.

From The Daily Beast

His dove gray waistcoat matched his jacket and Lillian decided his trousers were a hideous shade of yellowish-brown.

From The Daily Beast

I broke right into his story and seized the lapel of his waistcoat as though he were my dearest friend.

From Project Gutenberg

From his waistcoat pocket he took a little silver convex mirror and surveyed himself critically therein.

From Project Gutenberg

Still kneeling, he drew from his waistcoat pocket a powerful lens contained in a washleather bag.

From Project Gutenberg

Rapidly he removed his reefer and his waistcoat, folded them, and placed them neatly beside his overall.

From Project Gutenberg

So I put on my life-saving waistcoat and blew it out; clapped my new gas-mask on my head and entered.

From Project Gutenberg