'waistcoat' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'waistcote,' where 'waist' referred to the middle part of the body and 'cote' meant 'coat.'

'waistcote' transformed into the modern English word 'waistcoat,' and the adjective form 'waistcoated' emerged to describe someone wearing a waistcoat.

Initially, it meant 'a coat for the waist,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a sleeveless garment worn over a shirt and under a jacket.'