A long, heavy overcoat, typically worn by military personnel or in very cold weather for extra warmth.
'Great' (Middle English 'grete,' from Old English 'great') + 'coat'; the term emerged in the 16th-17th centuries to describe an unusually large or generous-sized coat, which became standardized as a military garment.
The British Army's greatcoat became iconic across centuries—officers and soldiers in WWI and WWII photographs often wore them, and they're still ceremonially worn today. The design was so effective that 'greatcoat' became the standard term worldwide rather than 'long overcoat,' showing how military fashion influences language.
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