surcoat
/ˈsɜɹˌkoʊt/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.38 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A loose sleeveless garment worn over a suit of armor, sometimes colored or embroidered with the wearer's coat of arms.
Example Sentences
- "The ordered system of symbols which we know as heraldry came into being in the twelfth century to meet a military need. These symbols were emblazoned on shields, surcoats and fighting flags, and served as an invaluable means of identification when the features were obscured by the great helm."
- "The Lord mayor and sheriff ride in their armour with surcoats of crimson."
- "She wore a short surcoat of scarlet, cut low around the shoulders, sleeveless, reaching just below her hips, like the tabards worn by medieval heralds. Over it she wore a laced-edged cotta."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: surcote
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsɜɹˌkoʊt/
- British English: /ˈsɜːˌkəʊt/