surcoat

surcoat
/serr"koht'/, n.
1. a garment worn over medieval armor, often embroidered with heraldic arms.
2. an outer coat or other outer garment.
[1300-50; ME surcote < MF. See SUR-1, COAT]

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also spelled  Surcote,  

      sleeved or sleeveless outer garment worn by European men and women during the 13th and 14th centuries. The surcoat for men was usually a tunic, or simple piece of material with a hole for the head, often worn over armour. For women, the surcoat was a more significant and characteristic garment, which originated in the 13th century as a voluminous outer cloak.

      At the beginning of the 14th century, the armhole became a long vertical slit open to the hips, and the neck was cut low to create a narrow strip over the shoulders. The neck and armholes were frequently edged with fur or embroidery, sometimes elaborately. The skirt fell in loose folds from the hips. The sideless surcoat, popular for more than 90 years and often decorated with a row of buttons or jewels, offered an attractive contrast to the garment showing underneath.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Surcoat — Sur coat , n. [OE. surcote, OF. surcote. See {Sur }, and {Coat}, and cf. {Overcoat}.] 1. A coat worn over the other garments; especially, the long and flowing garment of knights, worn over the armor, and frequently emblazoned with the arms of the …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • surcoat — outer coat, early 14c., from O.Fr. surcote, from sur on, upon, over, above + cote (see COAT (Cf. coat)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • surcoat — [sʉr′kōt΄] n. [ME surcote < MFr: see SUR 1 & COAT] an outer coat or gown; esp. in the Middle Ages, a loose, short cloak worn over armor …   English World dictionary

  • Surcoat — A surcoat was an outer garment commonly worn in the Middle Ages by both men and women. It can either refer to a coat worn over other garments or the outer garment of a person. The name derives from French meaning over the cotta , a long, wide… …   Wikipedia

  • surcoat — UK [ˈsɜː(r)ˌkəʊt] / US [ˈsɜrˌkoʊt] noun [countable] Word forms surcoat : singular surcoat plural surcoats a coat with no sleeves that soldiers used to wear over metal armour …   English dictionary

  • Surcoat — a sleeveless cloth gown that a knight wore over armor a long, tunic like, cloth garment worn over the armour, in a variety of forms, from the 1170s to the 1420s. The early surcoat was almost heel length, and progressively became shorter and… …   Medieval glossary

  • surcoat — noun Etymology: Middle English surcote, from Anglo French, from sur + cote coat Date: 13th century an outer coat or cloak; specifically a tunic worn over armor …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • surcoat — noun A loose garment without sleeves worn over a suit of armor, sometimes colored or embroidered with the wearers coat of arms …   Wiktionary

  • Surcoat — Outer coat of rich material, also worn over a suit of armour, decorated sometimes with heraldic coats of *arms; later, such a coat worn shortened was one of the signs of knighthood. [< Fr. sur = over] …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • surcoat — sur|coat [ sɜr,kout ] noun count a coat with no sleeves that soldiers used to wear over metal ARMOR …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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