mackinaw
mackinaw Lexical Profile
mackinaw Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A short, heavy, double-breasted coat made of thick woolen material, typically featuring a bold plaid pattern.
"He braved the winter chill by wrapping himself in a classic red-and-black plaid mackinaw."
North American A heavy, dense woolen cloth, often woven with a plaid or check pattern, historically used for cold-weather outerwear and blankets.
"The lumberjack's trousers were tailored from durable mackinaw to withstand the harsh conditions of the forest."
North American A sturdy, flat-bottomed boat traditionally used for fishing and transportation on the upper Great Lakes of North America.
"The fishermen loaded their morning catch into the mackinaw before rowing back to the harbor."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word is frequently confused with the geographical spelling 'Mackinac' (as in Mackinac Island or the Straits of Mackinac), though both are pronounced identically as /ˈmæk.ɪ.nɔː/.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Mackinac, a region in Michigan. The name itself comes from the Ojibwe word 'Mitchimakinak', meaning 'big turtle', which was given a French spelling (Mackinac) and later an English phonetic spelling (Mackinaw) for the goods associated with the region's trading posts.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.