Rebeca

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of women's knitted jacket typically made from wool or similar fabric, featuring buttons down the front and often worn as a lightweight outer garment
2. A cozy, open-front cardigan commonly crafted from soft materials, used to add warmth and style over casual or formal attire
3. A garment resembling a short sweater or jacket, usually buttoned and designed to provide an extra layer of comfort and modesty in varying weather conditions

Etymology: The garment takes its name from the given name Rebecca, which comes from Hebrew and is borne most famously by the Biblical matriarch who married Isaac. Garments were often named after people, and this one is apparently named for a woman who wore or popularised a knitted jacket of this kind, though the exact person is not clear to me. The name has crossed into several languages with the same sense, so an English speaker encountering it in a Spanish shop will find the same knitted jacket described by a name that is also a woman's given name. Its literal meaning therefore depends on the language: the "rebeca" is a garment, while Rebecca is a person.

Synonyms: Rebecca