Meanings
plural abacosts
- historicalA short- or long-sleeved button-up jacket, worn without a shirt, that was promoted in Zaire under the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko.First known use First attested in the late 20ᵗʰ century
The abacost became Mobutu's personal trademark, […]
2006, Martin Meredith, Africa: from the hopes of freedom to the heart of despair, PublicAffairs, page 2963 more examples
Wearing a collarless jacket called the abacost that reflected the style of chairman Mao, Mobutu outlawed the traditional suits and business dress of the West.
2005, Jeanne M. Haskin, The tragic state of the Congo: from decolonization to dictatorship, Algora, page 44[T]he new leader [Mobutu Sese Seko] embarked on a campaign of 'Africanisation', with […] suits giving way to the abacost (a Congolese version of the Mao jacket); […]
2007, Gemma Pitcher et al., Africa, 11th edition, Lonely Planet, page 562[A]ll western clothing was banned—to be replaced by one-piece tunic called an abacost.
2007, Michael Powell, 101 People You Won't Meet in Heaven, Globe Pequot, page 206
Origin
From French. A contraction of à bas le costume (“down with the western suit”)
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
abacost. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abacost
“abacost.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abacost. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “abacost,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/abacost.
Source: abacost on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.