Waistcoat Meaning
/ˈweɪs(t)kəʊt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn ornamental garment worn under a doublet.
nounA sleeveless, collarless garment worn over a shirt and under a suit jacket.
Sentence Examples
This waistcoat won't meet at the front.
I can't find the waistcoat of my three piece suit.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The gentleman wore a formal suit, a white shirt, and a silk ____ without sleeves.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The groom wore a stylish grey ____ under his jacket, which matched the theme of the whole wedding ceremony today.
Word Origin & History
From waist + coat. Compare Yola wauscoat, wazcoote.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.[…]A silver snaffle on a heavy leather watch guard which connected the pockets of his corduroy waistcoat, together with a huge gold stirrup in his Ascot tie, sufficiently proclaimed his tastes."
— 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
"In the Victorian Era, exposing your shirtfront in public was considered improper, as shirts were viewed as undergarments. Waistcoats concealed this and helped [to] tame oversized, billowy shirts."
— 2025 September 12, Jack Collins, “Why Did Men Stop Wearing Three-Piece Suits?”, in Gentleman's Gazette:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The gentleman wore a formal suit, a white shirt, and a silk ____ without sleeves.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The groom wore a stylish grey ____ under his jacket, which matched the theme of the whole wedding ceremony today.