pilot coat

English

Etymology

So called because it was worn by seamen or aviators.

Noun

pilot coat (plural pilot coats)

1. (nautical) A pea coat or pilot jacket.
   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 181:

     As he sat there with a sou'wester down over his ears, in a long pilot coat, his figure appeared in the misty morning air to assume quite supernatural proportions, and you might almost imagine that you had one of the old Vikings before you.

   • 1833-36, Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz, "The Out and Out Young Gentleman", in The Oxford Illustrated Dickens, p. 596:

     For some years past the favorite costume of the out-and-out young gentleman has been a rough pilot coat, with two gilt hooks and eyes to the velvet collar; buttons somewhat larger than crown-pieces; a black or fancy neckerchief, loosely tied; a wide-brimmed hat, with a low crown; tightish inexpressibles, and iron-shod boots.

2. (aviation) A type of thick coat, typically leather with fur or wool lining, used by aviators in aircraft without an enclosed cockpit or having an uninsulated cabin.