a close-fitting, waist-length, sleeveless garment that buttons down the front, designed to be worn under a jacket.
a part or trimming simulating the front of such a garment; vestee.Compare dickey1 (def. 1).
a waist-length garment worn for protective purposes: a bulletproof vest.
a sleeveless, waist- or hip-length garment made of various materials, with a front opening usually secured by buttons, a zipper, or the like, worn over a shirt, blouse, dress, or other article for style or warmth: a sweater vest; a down vest.
British. an undervest or undershirt.
a long garment resembling a cassock, worn by men in the time of Charles II.
Archaic.
dress; apparel.
an outer garment, robe, or gown.
an ecclesiastical vestment.
verb (used with object)
to clothe; dress; robe.
to dress in ecclesiastical vestments: to vest a bishop.
to cover or drape (an altar).
to place or settle (something, especially property, rights, powers, etc.) in the possession or control of someone (usually followed by in): to vest authority in a new official.
to invest or endow (a person, group, committee, etc.) with something, as powers, functions, or rights: to vest the board with power to increase production; to vest an employee with full benefits in the pension plan.
verb (used without object)
to put on vestments.
to become vested in a person, as a right.
to devolve upon a person as possessor; pass into possession or ownership.
Idioms for vest
play it close to the vest, Informal. to avoid taking unnecessary risks.
Origin of vest
1375–1425; (noun) late Middle English <Italian veste robe, dress <Latin vestis garment; (v.) late Middle English <Middle French vestir<Latin vestīre to clothe, derivative of vestis; akin to wear
Kelsey Lindsey, associate editorIn 2016, I was shamed by a buddy for wearing a running vest during a race with aid stations.
The Gear Our Editors Loved in September|The Editors|October 4, 2020|Outside Online
Yes, $199 is a lot for a vest, but the Approach is worth it because it’s the only one you’ll need this winter.
7 of Our Favorite Men's and Women's Fall Layers|Jakob Schiller|October 3, 2020|Outside Online
If you’re an employee at a chain, it doesn’t matter what logo is on your vest—your job is not assured.
What restaurants need from the 2020 election|ehinchliffe|September 30, 2020|Fortune
We rounded up some of the best weighted vests on the market.
The best weighted vests for your next tough workout|PopSci Commerce Team|September 16, 2020|Popular Science
Simply slip on the vest as you go about your usual activities—whether that’s a casual walk in the park or an intense cardio session—and you’ll torch more calories, while building up endurance.
The best weighted vests for your next tough workout|PopSci Commerce Team|September 16, 2020|Popular Science
The news reports quoted him as saying he wore the vest to celebrate Sunday Mass in Apatzingán.
Mexico’s Holy Warrior Against the Cartels|Jason McGahan|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I pressed the dime-sized rubber button on my vest, which was linked to my radio.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To date, Gowdy has played his cards close to the vest as to what the committee will actually investigate.
New Benghazi Investigation Spooks GOP Leaders|Eli Lake|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the photo, Sherman stands, dressed in an elaborate embroidered velvet frock coat and vest from the late eighteenth century.
Bill Cunningham: Through the Lens of a Style King|Justin Jones|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some reports said she had been captured in the vest and others said Zahir had fled with it.
He snatched them up with his left hand, and slipped them inside his vest.
File No. 113|Emile Gaboriau
A giant Irishman was standing there, with shirt collar and vest unbuttoned, and no coat on.
Following the Equator, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
And I was completely won when I donned it; it was like a vest of silk.
The Colonel of the Red Huzzars|John Reed Scott
One of Alfred's tormentors lay upon the floor, his face and vest literally covered with salad and other cold lunch.
Watch Yourself Go By|Al. G. Field
From a vest pocket he drew a little silver case, identical with that he had found in the desk up-town.
The Silent Bullet|Arthur B. Reeve
British Dictionary definitions for vest
vest
/ (vɛst) /
noun
an undergarment covering the body from the shoulders to the hips, made of cotton, nylon, etcUS and Canadian equivalent: T-shirt, undershirt Austral equivalent: singlet
a similar sleeveless garment worn as outerwearAustral equivalent: singlet
US, Canadian and Australiana man's sleeveless waistlength garment worn under a suit jacket, usually buttoning up the frontAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): waistcoat
obsoleteany form of dress, esp a long robe
verb
(tr foll by in) to place or settle (power, rights, etc, in)power was vested in the committee
(tr foll by with) to bestow or confer (on)the company was vested with authority
(usually foll by in)to confer (a right, title, property, etc, upon) or (of a right, title, etc) to pass (to) or devolve (upon)
(tr)to clothe or array
(intr)to put on clothes, ecclesiastical vestments, etc
Derived forms of vest
vestless, adjectivevestlike, adjective
Word Origin for vest
C15: from Old French vestir to clothe, from Latin vestīre, from vestis clothing