ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lapel

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ɫəˈpɛɫ// UK //lɐpˈɛl// lapel

n. the part of a jacket or coat that covers the front of the neck and collar. It is the area you see when you look at the front of a suit.

n. the part of a coat or jacket that covers the front of the neck and collar. Often used in the context of formal wear or specific styles like the peak or notch lapel.


SIMPLE

He wore a suit with a wide lapel.

CONTEXTUAL

The tailor adjusted the lapel of the jacket to ensure it sat perfectly against the client's collar.

COMPLEX

In traditional tailoring, the width of the lapel is a significant indicator of the era in which a suit was designed, with wider styles becoming increasingly popular in the late twentieth century.

Origin

From lap + -el (“diminutive suffix”).

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