khaki

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noun kha·ki \ ˈka-kē , ˈkä- , Canadian often ˈkär- \

Definition of khaki

1 a :a khaki-colored cloth made usually of cotton or wool and used especially for military uniforms

b :a garment of this cloth; especially :a military uniform —usually used in plural

2 :a light yellowish brown

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khaki

adjective

See khaki defined for English-language learners

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Examples of khaki in a Sentence

a military uniform made of khaki

Recent Examples of khaki from the Web

Yet the most glaring and distinctive part of the video is the guy ripping off his white polo shirt and keeping on his khaki shorts.

— jared michael lowe, Teen Vogue, "How Polo Shirts Became a White Supremacist Uniform," 29 Aug. 2017
Columns of angry, young white men in polo shirts and khaki pants filed in like some sort of modern-day Hitler Youth.

— robert king, Indianapolis Star, "Indiana white nationalist called 'the next David Duke' isn't stopping with Charlottesville," 27 Aug. 2017
In the jungle below, biologists armed with a black tranquilizer rifle are hunting them, flashes of khaki through the foliage.

— sam kean, Science | AAAS, "When will yellow fever strike Brazil again? Monkeys and mosquitoes hold clues," 17 Aug. 2017
Guys take to the athletic fabric T-shirt teamed with khaki or navy shorts to face fall with some very cool looks.

— star-telegram, "Looking smart," 28 July 2017
Vanderpump Rules star Jax Taylor sported a khaki onesie during his 38th birthday celebration weekend thanks to a very thoughtful gift from castmate Tom Sandoval.

— colleen kratofil, PEOPLE.com, "Vanderpump Rules' Jax Taylor Wears a Male Romper to His 38th Birthday Celebrations," 12 July 2017
And buying a studio for a $430 billion company, of course, would be like Bill Gates losing a $20 bill in his khaki pants.

— vanityfair.com, "Is Mark Zuckerberg Going to Put Hollywood Out of Business?," 4 July 2017
Dressed in a blue and white plaid shirt and khaki pants, Eric Hummel sat by himself as attorneys prepared for the court hearing to begin.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Hobart father accused of inadvertently shooting his daughter appears in court," 28 June 2017
Another scene shows Belgian fighter, Abu Aisha, choosing between camouflage and khaki slacks.

— nick paton walsh, CNN, "Raqqa: Secret video shows ISIS losing chokehold on its 'capital'," 27 June 2017

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

Did You Know?

In the mid-19th century, units of the British Indian Army applied the Hindi word khāki, “dust-colored, brown,” to the color of a uniform cloth. Dull brown uniforms were preferred because they did not show dirt, but the major reason that all colonial units of the British Army eventually adopted them was because they made excellent camouflage. Today we typically associate khaki with fashionable casualness and a summery look rather than British military uniforms

Origin and Etymology of khaki

Hindi & Urdu khākī dust-colored, from khāk dust, from Persian

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1857

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Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

KHAKI Defined for English Language Learners

khaki

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noun

Definition of khaki for English Language Learners

: a yellowish-brown cloth
khakis : pants made of khaki
: a yellowish-brown color

KHAKI Defined for Kids

khaki

play

noun kha·ki \ ˈka-kē , ˈkä- \

Definition of khaki for Students

1 :a light yellowish brown cloth used especially for military uniforms

2 khakis plural :a pair of pants made of khaki

3 :a light yellowish brown

Learn More about khaki

See words that rhyme with khaki Spanish Central: Translation of khaki Nglish: Translation of khaki for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about khaki

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