zoot suit

noun \ ˈzüt- \

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

Definition of zoot suit

: a suit of extreme cut typically consisting of a thigh-length jacket with wide padded shoulders and peg pants with narrow cuffs

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zoot-suiter

play \ˈzüt-ˌsü-tər\ noun

See zoot suit defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of zoot suit from the Web

The zoot suit and wallet chain became the new mohawk and combat boots.

— kenneth partridge, Billboard, "In Defense of the Swing Revival: Why America Flipped for '40s Sounds in 1998," 29 May 2018
An ancient gentleman in a brown zoot suit that might have been purchased in that cut’s heyday stepped creakily out of a Cadillac.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "Free Money at the Edge of the Tech Boom," 19 Oct. 2017
At the show’s end, the history of men’s suiting is reprised with versions that include a Savile Row standard, developments by Thom Browne and Yojhi Yamamoto, and an amazing -broad-shoulder zoot suit.

— roberta smith, New York Times, "MoMA Plunges Headfirst Into Fashion," 5 Oct. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of zoot suit

reduplication of ¹suit

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1942

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

ZOOT SUIT Defined for English Language Learners

zoot suit

noun

Definition of zoot suit for English Language Learners

: a type of suit for men that was worn in the 1940s and that consisted of a long jacket with wide shoulders and pants that were wide at the top and narrow at the bottom