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# waistcoat

noun (a waistcoat, waistcoats)

«waistcoat» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

(UK) A short jacket with buttons and no sleeves, worn over a shirt and often under a suit jacket; in the USA and Canada it is called a vest. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waistcoat/#m1)

### In the lessons

In everyday life, waistcoats are worn with smart suits, at weddings, and as part of some uniforms. In old stories and costumes, gentlemen wear waistcoats with a pocket watch. A "hi-vis waistcoat" or "high-visibility vest" is the bright yellow top for safety near roads. Phrases: "a three-piece suit" (jacket, trousers and waistcoat), "waistcoat pocket".

### Examples

- Dad wore a grey waistcoat to my cousin's wedding. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waistcoat/#x1)
- The White Rabbit took a watch out of his waistcoat pocket. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waistcoat/#x2)
- The page boy wore a little velvet waistcoat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waistcoat/#x3)
- Our crossing guard wears a bright yellow safety waistcoat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waistcoat/#x4)
- In the play, I wore a waistcoat and a top hat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waistcoat/#x5)
- The waistcoat had six shiny buttons. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waistcoat/#x6)

### Note

Countable. Pronounced WAIST-coat or, more traditionally, WESS-kut. False friend between countries: in the UK a "vest" is a vest worn under a shirt (a singlet in Australia and New Zealand), but in the USA a "vest" is a waistcoat. Spelling: waist (middle of the body), not "waste".

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «waistcoat» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waistcoat/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«waistcoat» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/waistcoat.html) on Mova free.