Basic+ Word of the Day: coat

coat (noun, verb) past tense: coated

A coat is something you wear over your clothing when it is cold outside.

• Frank's new wool coat is warm and looks good on him.

A coat is also the natural covering on an animal.

• The cat's coat was thick and soft.

A coat can be a layer of something that covers a surface.

• The painter applied a coat of blue paint to the wall.
• When they returned from vacation, there was a coat of dust on the furniture.

To coat means ‘to cover with a layer of something.’

• Amy coated her skin with sunscreen before going to the beach.

Common uses

turncoat: a person who switches from one party or cause to another. Example: “When the politician saw that his party lost popularity he became a turncoat and joined the opposition.”

In pop culture

Dolly Parton starred in a Christmas movie about her youth called “A Coat of Many Colors.” Listen to the title song from the movie.

There are other meanings of coat.