gabardine

G2A1B3A1R1D2I1N1E1
UK/ˈɡæbəˌdiːn/US/ˈɡæbɚˌdin/

noun

A type of woolen cloth with a diagonal ribbed texture on one side.

“The merchant found gabardines with finer ribs sold better here.”

Similar
flanneltweedwhitedustergaberdinesmockdust coat
OriginSpanish gabardina ← Middle French galverdine →
UncommonFirst used c. 1520Scrabble 13
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Meanings

noungabardine (usually uncountable, plural gabardines)

plural gabardines · alternative gaberdine · alternative garbardine

  1. countableuncountableusuallyA type of woolen cloth with a diagonal ribbed texture on one side.

    The merchant found gabardines with finer ribs sold better here.

  2. countableuncountableusuallyA similar fabric, made from cotton.
  3. countableusuallyA long cloak.First known use c. 1520
  4. countablehistoricalusuallyA yellow robe that Jews in England were compelled to wear in the year 1189 as a mark of distinction.

    You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spet upon my Jewish gabardine, And all for use of that which is mine own.

    c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]

Synonyms & antonyms

noun(usually in the plural) trousers made of flannel or gabardine or tweed or white cloth

Similar
flanneltweedwhite
Broader
trouserspair of trouserspant

nouna loose coverall (coat or frock) reaching down to the ankles

Similar
dustergaberdinesmockdust coat
Broader
coverall
Also see
dusterflannelsmocktweedwhite

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Frenchgalverdine
  2. Spanishgabardina
  3. Englishgabardine

Recorded since 1904, altering the earlier gaberdine (“long, coarse outer garment”) (since 1520), from Spanish gabardina (perhaps influenced by gabán (“overcoat”) and tabardina (“coarse coat”)), from Middle French galverdine, itself probably from (Old or Middle) High German wallevart (“pilgrimage”), in the sense of “pilgrim's cloak” (from wallen (“to ambulate”) + vart (“journey”)).

More words from Spanish, Middle French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian габардин
  • габардин (gabardin)type of woolen cloth
Catalan gavardina
  • gavardinatype of woolen cloth
Chinese Mandarin 華達呢 /华达呢
  • 華達呢 /华达呢 (huádání)type of woolen cloth
Czech gabardén
  • gabardéntype of woolen cloth
Danish gabardine
  • gabardinetype of woolen cloth
Dutch gabardine
  • gabardinetype of woolen cloth
Finnish gabardiini
  • gabardiinitype of woolen cloth
German Gabardine
  • Gabardinetype of woolen cloth
Greek γκαμπαρντίνα
  • γκαμπαρντίνα (gkamparntína)type of woolen cloth
Hebrew גברדין
  • גברדיןtype of woolen cloth
Hungarian gabardin
  • gabardintype of woolen cloth
Italian gabardine
  • gabardinetype of woolen cloth
Japanese ギャバジン
  • ギャバジン (gyabajin)type of woolen cloth
Korean 개버딘
  • 개버딘 (gaebeodin)type of woolen cloth
Norwegian Bokmål gabardin
  • gabardintype of woolen cloth
Portuguese gabardina
  • gabardinatype of woolen cloth
Russian габарди́н
  • габарди́н (gabardín)type of woolen cloth
Spanish gabardina
  • gabardinatype of woolen cloth
Swahili gabadini
  • gabadinitype of woolen cloth
Cite this entry
APA

gabardine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gabardine

MLA

“gabardine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gabardine. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gabardine,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gabardine.

Source: gabardine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.