mess jacket

noun

1. a short, tailless jacket extending to just below the waist, used for semiformal military occasions and now especially as part of the uniform of waiters, bellhops, etc.

mess jacket

noun

1. a waist-length jacket tapering to a point at the back, worn by officers in the mess for formal dinners

Word History and Origins

Origin of mess jacket¹

First recorded in 1890–95