Mackinneys

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Clothing usually consisting of loose, durable pants or overalls made for manual labor or outdoor activities; informal or regional term for rugged workwear; garments designed to provide comfort and protection during physical tasks
2. Work trousers or overalls typically associated with manual labor, often made from sturdy materials; a colloquial name for casual, heavy-duty pants used in agriculture or construction; clothing intended for practical use rather than fashion
3. Durable, practical apparel commonly worn over other garments during hard work, typically including pants or coveralls; an informal designation for tough, functional clothing suited for outdoor labor; attire aimed at shielding the wearer while performing physically demanding jobs

Etymology: "Mackinneys" is a plural noun, and it is the plural of "mackinney," a word for the heavy, hard-wearing trousers that workers in the American West and Midwest wore in the early twentieth century. The name almost certainly traces to the Mackinaw or Mackinac region, but the connection to Michigan's Mackinac Island and the Mackinaw blanket and coat is a matter of likely association rather than documented fact, and the exact route from that place name to this slang term is uncertain.