khaki
UK /ˈkɑː.ki/ · US /ˈkæ.ki/ noun, adjective
Forms khakis khakies carkee carky karkey khakee kharkee kharki
- noun A dull, yellowish-brown colour, the colour of dust.
- noun Khaki green, a dull green colour.
- noun A strong cloth of wool or cotton, often used for military or other uniforms.
- noun (rare) A soldier wearing a khaki uniform.
- noun (South Africa, derogatory, slang) A British person.
- noun (chiefly in the plural) Khaki clothing or uniform.
- adjective Dust-coloured; of the colour of dust.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hindustani خاکی (xākī) / ख़ाकी (xākī), from Classical Persian خَاکِی (xākī, “dusty, earthy, earth-colored”).
Noun sense 5 was coined in reference to the colour of the uniform of British troops during the Second Boer War; compare rooinek.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of a dull brownish yellow, or drab color; --applied to cloth, originally to a stout brownish cotton cloth, used in making uniforms in the Anglo-Indian army. In the United States service the summer uniform of cotton is officially designated khaki; the winter uniform of wool, olive drab.
- noun Any kind of khaki cloth; hence, a uniform of khaki or, rarely, a soldier clad in khaki. In the United States and British armies khaki or cloth of a very similar color is almost exclusively used for service in the field.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “khaki”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details