Definition

1. Noun:
   • A waterproof hat with a wide, slanting brim that is longer in the back than in the front: A type of protective headgear, often made of oilskin or similar material, traditionally worn by sailors and fishermen in stormy weather.
   • A strong wind blowing from the southwest: A meteorological term for a gale or storm wind originating from the southwest direction.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Hat):
  • The fisherman pulled his sou'wester low over his eyes as the rain began to pour.
  • For the sailing trip, she packed a classic yellow sou'wester to stay dry.
• Noun (Wind):
  • A fierce sou'wester battered the coast for three days.
  • The forecast warns of a strong sou'wester developing later this afternoon.

Advanced Usage

• As a defining feature of maritime gear: The term is strongly associated with traditional seafaring attire and is often used to evoke a nautical or historical setting.
  • In the old painting, every crew member was depicted wearing a sou'wester.

Variants and Related Words

• Sou'west (adj., adv.): A less common variant meaning "southwest" or "from the southwest."
• Southwester: An alternative spelling for both meanings of "sou'wester."

Synonyms

• For the hat: Oilskin hat, storm hat, sailor's hat.
• For the wind: Southwesterly, southwesterly gale, southwest wind.

Related Idioms

• While there are no common idioms using the exact word "sou'wester," the concept is related to idioms about weather and seafaring, such as "to batten down the hatches," which one would do when a sou'wester is approaching.

Noun

1. waterproof hat with wide slanting brim longer in back than in front
2. a strong wind from the southwest