Waistcoats

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An article of clothing with no sleeves, typically worn over a shirt and usually part of formal outfits, that adds both elegance and comfort
2. This type of garment, commonly seen in formal suits, provides an additional layer and improves overall style while being fitted over the shirt
3. A sleeveless garment designed to be worn over a shirt, providing a polished look often associated with formal attire and enhancing the wearer's silhouette

Etymology: "Waistcoats" is the plural of "waistcoat", a garment worn over a shirt and under a jacket. The word is a plain compound of "waist" and "coat": a short coat that covers the body down to the waistline. Its older name, which the same source notes survives in Yola, a now-extinct English dialect of Ireland, was "wauscoat" or "wazcoote", showing how the two parts were once pronounced and spelled in looser ways.

Synonyms: vests, sleeveless jackets