zoot suit

American  

[zoot] / zut /

noun

1. a man's suit with baggy, tight-cuffed, sometimes high-waisted trousers and an oversized jacket with exaggeratedly broad, padded shoulders and wide lapels, often worn with suspenders and a long watch chain and first popularized in the early 1940s.

---

zoot suit British  

/ zuːt /

noun

1. slang a man's suit consisting of baggy trousers with very tapered bottoms and a long jacket with wide padded shoulders, popular esp in the US in the 1940s

---

Other Word Forms

• zoot-suiter
  noun

---

Etymology

Origin of zoot suit

1940–45, rhyming compound based on suit

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zoot suit

Elsewhere, we check in on how a freshly liberated Mitch McConnell is putting on his zoot suit and spats and living it up a little.

From Slate ● Apr. 27, 2024

Within the zoot suit, you’ll find a uniquely American story of style.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2023

Calloway appeared in a billowing white zoot suit in the hit 1943 movie musical “Stormy Weather.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2023

Naturally, its boldness and popularity made the zoot suit a target.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2023

The one thing still missing from my fresh ensemble is a zoot suit.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---