A Jacket Was Named After a Peasant Called Jacques
A jacket is a short coat. The French word came from Jacques, a generic name for a peasant.
A jacket is a short coat. The word came from Old French *jaquet*, a diminutive of *jaque*, a short peasant's tunic — which was itself probably named from *Jacques*, used as a generic name for a French peasant. The garment for common people gave its name to a garment now worn to board meetings.
- A short coat. *A leather jacket.*
- An outer covering. *A book jacket.*
- A potato skin. *A jacket potato.*
- Jacket as a modifier. *Jacket pocket.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | jacket | A wool jacket. |
| Plural | jackets | Two jackets. |
| Compound | jacket potato | A jacket potato. |
| Compound | life jacket | A life jacket. |
| Related | jerkin | A leather jerkin. |
How it is used in a sentence
- A jacket potato is baked in its skin.British: Americans say baked potato.
- The book jacket protects the cover.Publishing.
- A dust jacket is the same thing.Both terms are used.
Kinds of jacket
- Blazer — solid colour, often with metal buttons
- Sports jacket — patterned, often tweed
- Bomber — waisted, from military flying jackets
- Dinner jacket — formal evening wear, the American tuxedo
- Life jacket — buoyancy aid, called a life vest in America
From Old French *jaquet*, a diminutive of *jaque*, a peasant's tunic, probably from the name *Jacques*.
Why is a baked potato a jacket potato?
Because it is cooked and served in its skin, which acts as a jacket. The term is British.
Dinner jacket or tuxedo?
They are the same garment. Dinner jacket is British, tuxedo American, named after Tuxedo Park in New York.