galosh

noun ga·losh \ gə-ˈläsh \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 2018

Definition of galosh

1 obsolete : a shoe with a heavy sole

2 : a high overshoe worn especially in snow and slush

—

galoshed

play \gə-ˈläsht\ adjective

See galosh defined for kids

Recent Examples of galosh from the Web

Get Down with the Locals for a Caribbean Christmas Picture yourself swapping your mittens for sunscreen, snow galoshes for a floppy hat and eggnog for beachside tropical cocktails.

— princess cruises, Bon Appetit, "Set Sail for Adventure This Holiday Season," 2 July 2018
At Middletown High School, faculty and former classmates described Nathan as a loner, a six-foot-three giant running down the hallways from class to class in oversize galoshes.

— james d. walsh, Daily Intelligencer, "A Son Took His Mother Out Fishing. She Never Came Back.," 23 Jan. 2018
The connection between galoshes and music might seem tenuous, but the pitch is that the brand wants to encourage outdoor fun of all kinds.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "A Massive (and Free) Music Festival Is Coming to the Rose Bowl Next Weekend," 14 Mar. 2018
In the book, Mrs. Whatsit — who has gray hair instead of red — first appears wearing a big overcoat, galoshes, and a bunch of scarves.

— eliza thompson, Cosmopolitan, "14 Differences Between the Wrinkle in Time Movie and the Book," 12 Mar. 2018
Her ex-boyfriend asked how Nathan could have swum to his life raft while wearing his signature galoshes.

— james d. walsh, Daily Intelligencer, "A Son Took His Mother Out Fishing. She Never Came Back.," 23 Jan. 2018
Continuing the plastic theme, the singer proved that rain shoes needn’t be wellies in straight-from-the-runway spring 2018 Off-White heels with transparent galosh-like outer sleeves.

— edward barsamian, Vogue, "Rihanna Already Has a Leg Up on Next Spring’s Hottest Look," 19 Oct. 2017
On Wednesday, Edwin Cortes Medina, wearing vinyl galoshes in the sweltering heat, lifted a metal sheet from his driveway and carried it to a pile in the median of the street outside his home.

— daniella silva, NBC News, "For Puerto Ricans in Hard-Hit Arecibo, ‘Everything Was Lost’," 5 Oct. 2017
Top Five Five shop owners on their top back-to-school picks for kids, from a coming-of-age book to see-through Spanish galoshes.

— katy schneider, The Cut, "Brooklyn’s Tween Fashion District, Stylish Keyboards, and a New Queens Bookstore," 4 Sep. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of galosh

Middle English galoche "kind of sandal or clog with a wooden sole held to the foot with leather thongs," borrowed from Anglo-French & Middle French, borrowed from Old Occitan galocha, perhaps going back to Gallo-Romance *caloctium, borrowed from Greek of Massalia (Marseille) *kalóchtion, altered from *kalórtion, from Greek kâlon "wood, timber" (of uncertain origin) + -ortion, compound form (as in Middle Greek cheirórtion "glove," podórtion "gaiter") of Greek artḗr "kind of shoe," probably derivative of aeírein "to bind" with -tēr, instrument suffix — more at artery

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year