anorak n : a kind of heavy jacket (`windcheater' is a British term) [syn: parka, windbreaker, windcheater]

English

Etymology

Danish, from Inuit (Greenlandic) annoraaq. (1922)

Noun

1. A heavy weatherproof jacket with an attached hood; a parka or windcheater.
2. In the context of "UK|slang": A geek or nerd, originally a train spotter.

Derived terms

• anorakish

Translations

References

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: Tenth Edition (1997)

''This article is about the article of clothing. For the colloquial meaning, see Anorak (slang).

An anorak or parka is a type of heavy jacket with a hood, often lined with fur or fake fur, so as to protect the face from a combination of freezing temperatures and wind.

This kind of garment, originally made from caribou or seal was invented by the Caribou Inuit, Inuit (Eskimo) of the Arctic region, who needed clothing that would protect them from wind chill and wet while hunting and kayaking. The word anorak comes from the Kalaallisut word anoraq, while the word parka is of Aleut origin. Certain types of Inuit anoraks have to be regularly coated with fish oil to keep their water resistance.

The words anorak and parka are now often used interchangeably, but when first introduced, they described somewhat different garments, and the distinction is still maintained by some. Strictly speaking, an anorak is a waterproof jacket with a hood and drawstrings at the waist and cuffs, and a parka is a knee-length cold-weather jacket or coat; typically stuffed with down or very warm synthetic fiber, and with a fur-lined hood. Originally an anorak specifically implied a pull-over jacket without a zipper, button or frogged opening, but this distinction is now largely lost, and many garments with a full-length front opening are now described as anoraks.

In the 1960s, the fishtail parka became a symbol of the mod subculture. Due to their practicality, cheapness and availability from army surplus shops, the parka was seen as the ideal garment for fending off the elements when on the mod's vehicle of choice, the scooter. Its place in popular culture was assured by newspaper pictures of parka-clad mods during the Bank Holiday riots of the 1960s.

In Britain, the word anorak is also a somewhat pejorative term for people whose interests are perceived to be nerdy, or who have more expertise in an arcane topic than seems rational.

See also

• Amauti
• Fishtail parka
• Hoodie
• Kenny McCormick, a character from the show South Park, whose orange snorkel parka is his main identifier.
• Snorkel Parka
• Cagoule
• Mackintosh

External links

• A traditional Inuit parka at the Sheldon Jackson Museum, in Alaska