waistcoat Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a man's sleeveless garment worn underneath a coat
    vest.

WordNet

Waist"coat noun
Definitions
  1. A short, sleeveless coat or garment for men, worn under the coat, extending no lower than the hips, and covering the waist; a vest.
  2. 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. Nares. Syn. -- See Vest.

Webster 1913