zoot suit en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
Zoot may be a Caló slang pronunciation of suit, thus making the term a tautology and reduplication.
Meanings
-
An outfit featuring a suit with broad shoulders, a long coat, and baggy trousers that taper to a tight fit at the ankles.
Dexter Gordon was an idol around Central Avenue. He was tall. He wore a wide-brimmed hat that made him seem like he was about seven feet tall. He had a stoop to his walk and wore long zoot suits, and he carried his tenor in a sack under his arm.
2003 December 18, Terry Castle, London Review of Books:
-
(UK, slang) Synonym of goon suit (“waterproof rubber suit for pilots”).
Before his nap, Kaplan had put on all his clothes, including the wool-lined waterproof double-zippered survival suit nicknamed the zoot suit.
2019, Ellin Bessner, Double Threat: Canadian Jews, the Military, and World War II:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| zuit suit | alternative | lexicographic | |
| zoot suits | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| zootsuit | alternative | lexicographic |