fatigues
fatigues Lexical Profile
fatigues Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Loose-fitting, durable utility clothing, typically olive drab or camouflaged, worn by military personnel for field duty and manual work.
"The recruits spent the morning repairing the camp roads in their muddy fatigues."
Menial, non-military tasks or manual labor performed by soldiers, such as cleaning, maintenance, or kitchen duty.
"After inspection, the platoon was assigned to two hours of kitchen fatigues."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to military utility clothing or manual duties, 'fatigues' is a plural-only noun (pluralia tantum) and takes a plural verb.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from French 'fatigue' ('weariness' or 'toilsome labor'), from Latin 'fatigare' ('to tire out'). The garment sense arose as an shortening of 'fatigue dress', the durable clothing worn by soldiers while performing non-combat manual labor ('fatigue duty').