Overcoats

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of outer garment usually made of heavier material, designed to provide warmth and protection from cold weather
2. Often featuring long sleeves and a full-length design, these garments are worn over regular clothing for added insulation
3. Typically made from wool or similar fabrics, these are essential in colder climates to shield the wearer from the elements

Etymology: The plural "overcoats" simply takes the regular -s ending of its singular, "overcoat." That singular is a compound of "over-" and "coat," and the two halves have quite different pedigrees. "Over" comes from Old English "ofer," which goes back to a Germanic root shared with many languages across northern Europe. "Coat" traces a longer path: it descends from Proto-Germanic "kuttô," probably borrowed from Late Latin "cotta," a short tunic, which passed into Old French as "cote" and then into Middle English. So a garment worn over a coat is, etymologically, a coat of Latin-derived cloth set over a coat of Germanic-named cloth.

Synonyms: outer garments, coats, jackets, wraps, cloaks