What does "coat" mean?

1. (clothing) a piece of clothing with sleeves that you wear over other clothes to stay warm or dry. 2. (animal fur) the hair, fur, or feathers that cover an animal's body. 3. (a layer of material) a single layer of something, like paint or sugar, that covers a surface. 4. (nautical seal) a piece of material used to stop water from leaking down a mast on a ship.

coat — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01clothing

A1 · Beginner Countable noun

n. a piece of clothing with sleeves that you wear over other clothes to stay warm or dry.

n. an outer garment covering the upper torso and arms, typically worn for protection against weather.

“Don't forget to put on your heavy coat before you go out into the snow.”

“The woollen coat provided excellent insulation against the biting wind, though its lack of waterproofing made it unsuitable for the heavy sleet.”

Synonyms

jacket overcoat

02animal fur

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. the hair, fur, or feathers that cover an animal's body.

n. the natural integumentary covering of an animal, such as fur, hair, or wool.

“The dog has a thick, shiny coat because he eats very healthy food.”

“During the winter months, the mountain hares develop a white coat to provide camouflage against the deep snow.”

Synonyms

fur pelt fleece

03a layer of material

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a single layer of something, like paint or sugar, that covers a surface.

n. a single thickness or layer of a substance applied to a surface.

“The wall looks much better now that it has a second coat of blue paint.”

“The carpenter applied a thin coat of varnish to protect the wood while still allowing the natural grain to remain visible.”

Synonyms

layer covering film

04nautical seal

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical

n. a piece of material used to stop water from leaking down a mast on a ship.

n. a protective covering, historically made of tarred canvas, secured around a mast or bowsprit to prevent water ingress into the hold.

“The sailor checked the coat around the mast to make sure no water was getting in.”

“The shipwright replaced the perished rubber coat at the base of the mainmast to ensure the lower decks remained dry during the crossing.”

Usage

In modern contexts, these are typically constructed from rubber or leather rather than canvas.

From Middle English cote, coate, cotte, from Old French cote, cotte (“outer garment with sleeves”), from Latin cotta (“undercoat, tunic”), from Proto-Germanic kuttô, kuttǭ (“cowl, woolen cloth, coat”), from Proto-Indo-European gʷewd-, gud- (“woolen clothes”). Cognate with Old High German kozza, kozzo (“woolen coat”) (German Kotze (“coarse woolen blanket; woolen cape”)), Middle Low German kot (“coat”), Middle Dutch cote (“coat”), Ancient Greek βεῦδος (beûdos, “woman's attire”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

coat(A1)