Overblouse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A garment intended to be layered on top of another piece of clothing, providing both style and modesty while extending typically to the waistline
2. An overlay designed for wear over an inner top, often crafted from light fabrics to enhance appearance and add a stylish touch
3. A fashion item meant to be worn over a blouse, serving both to enhance the outfit's visual appeal and to provide additional coverage for the upper body

Etymology: "Overblouse" is a compound of "over-" and "blouse," so it is a plain, transparent formation: a blouse worn over something else. The prefix "over-" is an old English element meaning "above" or "on top of," and it attaches readily to garment names to describe a layer worn outside another. "Blouse" itself came into English from French, where "blouse" originally denoted a loose smock or work garment, so the overblouse is essentially a layering piece built on that older idea of a loose, outer-fitting top.

Synonyms: blouse, top, shirt