Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - coat

 I. noun  Usage: often attributive  Etymology: Middle English cote, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German kozza coarse wool mantle  Date: 14th century  1.  a. an outer garment worn on the upper body and varying in length and style according to fashion and use  b. something resembling a ~  2. the external growth on an animal  3. a layer of one substance covering another a ~ of paint  • ~ed adjective  • ~less adjective  II. transitive verb  Date: 14th century  1. to cover with a ~  2. to cover or spread with a finishing, protecting, or enclosing layer  • ~er noun