Dictionary

abacost en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈæ.bə.kɒst/ (UK)
• /ˈæ.bə.kɑst/ (US)

Etymology

From French. A contraction of à bas le costume (“down with the western suit”)

Meanings

1. (historical) A short- or long-sleeved button-up jacket, worn without a shirt, that was promoted in Zaire under the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko.
   • The abacost became Mobutu's personal trademark, […] 2006, Martin Meredith, Africa: from the hopes of freedom to the heart of despair, PublicAffairs, page 296:
   • [A]ll western clothing was banned—to be replaced by one-piece tunic called an abacost. 2007, Michael Powell, 101 People You Won't Meet in Heaven, Globe Pequot, page 206:
   • [T]he new leader [Mobutu Sese Seko] embarked on a campaign of 'Africanisation', with […] suits giving way to the abacost (a Congolese version of the Mao jacket); […] 2007, Gemma Pitcher et al., Africa, 11th edition, Lonely Planet, page 562:
   • Wearing a collarless jacket called the abacost that reflected the style of chairman Mao, Mobutu outlawed the traditional suits and business dress of the West. 2005, Jeanne M. Haskin, The tragic state of the Congo: from decolonization to dictatorship, Algora, page 44:

Forms