anorak

noun an·o·rak \ ˈa-nə-ˌrak \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of anorak

1 : a usually pullover hooded jacket long enough to cover the hips

2 British, informal : a person who is extremely enthusiastic about and interested in something that other people find boring

Bale's book is scholarly, immensely detailed and aimed squarely at political anoraks.
—The Sunday Business Post

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Recent Examples of anorak from the Web

Try wearing a lightweight anorak with a shirt and tie, cropped chinos and (sockless) loafers.

— noah zagor, chicagotribune.com, "How men can pull off summer's biggest trends," 4 Apr. 2018
Kirk Wallace Johnson’s new book The Feather Thief is a veritable Mental ward of anoraks—explorers, naturalists, gumshoes, dentists, musicians and salmon fly-tyers.

— franz lidz, Smithsonian, "The Great Feather Heist," 21 Mar. 2018
The anorak who set this mystery in motion was Alfred Russel Wallace, the great English biologist, whose many eccentricities Johnson politely sidesteps.

— franz lidz, Smithsonian, "The Great Feather Heist," 21 Mar. 2018
The offering includes denim shirts, Army anoraks, denim jackets, faux fur, scarves and T-shirts.

— lisa lockwood | wwd, latimes.com, "Rachel Roy designs mini Love collection for International Women’s Day," 5 Mar. 2018
Thankfully, the house paired them with brightly colored lips and slip dresses over anoraks to lighten the mood.

— sarah spellings, The Cut, "Hazmat Suits Made Their Paris Fashion Week Debut," 28 Feb. 2018
Suits, puffer coats, nylon jumpsuits and anoraks round out the collection.

— colleen barry, The Seattle Times, "Versace goes punk wild with homey looks," 13 Jan. 2018
Fashion’s biggest athluxury fan, Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, showed hot pink and purple track pants and anoraks on eyeliner-wearing emo boys, while Miuccia Prada presented board shorts in a fiery floral print.

— brooke bobb, Vogue, "Studs in Spandex: Glamleisure Hits Men’s Fashion Month," 18 Jan. 2018
To buy: UA Metallic Anorak ($170; underarmour.com) For even more metallic, reach for this eye-catching anorak.

— Health.com, "3 Things You’ll Love From Misty Copeland’s New Line of Workout Clothes," 13 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anorak.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of anorak

Dan, from Inuit (Greenland) annoraaq

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First Known Use: 1877

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ANORAK Defined for English Language Learners

anorak

noun

Definition of anorak for English Language Learners

: a jacket that has a hood and that is long enough to cover your hips
: a person who is extremely interested in something that other people find boring