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waistcoat

A short, sleeveless coat or garment for men, worn under the coat, extending no lower than the hips, and covering the waist; a vest.

A garment occasionally worn by women as a part of fashionable costume.

The waistcoat was a part of female attire as well as male . . . It was only when the waistcoat was worn without a gown or upper dress that it was considered the mark of a mad or profligate woman.

Synonym: See Vest.