tunic. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

tunic

SYLLABICATION:	tu·nic
PRONUNCIATION:	tnk, ty-
NOUN:	1a. A loose-fitting garment, sleeved or sleeveless, extending to the knees and worn by men and women especially in ancient Greece and Rome. b. A medieval surcoat. 2a. A long, plain, close-fitting jacket, usually having a stiff high collar and worn as part of a uniform. b. A long, plain, sleeved or sleeveless blouse. c. A short pleated and belted dress worn by women for some sports. 3. Anatomy A coat or layer enveloping an organ or part. 4. Botany A loose membranous outer covering of a bulb or corm, as of the onion, tulip, or crocus. 5. See tunicle.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English tunik, from Old French tunique, from Latin tunica, of Phoenician origin; akin to Hebrew kuttnet, ktnet, from Central Semitic ^*kuttn, kittn*. See chiton.


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.